McLaren’s decision to ask Oscar Piastri to relinquish second place to Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix has sparked debate—and not without reason. A slow pit stop for Norris allowed Piastri to jump ahead late in the race. McLaren then instructed Piastri to let Norris back through, a move the championship leader clearly didn’t appreciate but ultimately obeyed. The team cited last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix as precedent, but the comparison doesn’t quite hold. In Hungary, the undercut was so potent that Norris was guaranteed to leapfrog Piastri by pitting two laps earlier under pressure from behind. At Monza, however, the undercut wasn’t nearly as effective. Norris would have retained position if not for the botched stop. As Piastri rightly pointed out, sometimes a slow pit stop is just part of racing. This call from McLaren felt unnecessary—and worse, it feeds into the narrative of favoritism toward Norris. While McLaren has generally navigated intra-team dynamics well, this intervention seemed excessive. Not every twist of racing fortune needs to be corrected. Had Piastri gained the position purely through strategy, the team might have had a stronger case. But the slow stop was the decisive factor, and that’s racing. Piastri’s compliance […]
Oscar Piastri placed the blame on himself after a dramatic spin into the grass at the F1 Australian Grand Prix. His McLaren teammate Lando Norris won the 2025 season-opener in Melbourne. McLaren might have completed a one-two finish, justifying the pre-race hype around their pace, until Piastri’s nightmare moment on his home turf. On Lap 44, a rain shower caused Piastri to get out of shape at Turn 12. He found himself in the grass and had to reverse his car back into the race, where he rejoined in 13th. Piastri superbly recovered to finish ninth but his home grand prix was ruined by the brief error. “It’s obviously pretty disappointing,” he told Sky Sports. “I feel like, in every lap apart from one, I drove a strong race. It’s a shame not to have a result to show for it. “I don’t have anyone to blame but myself. “I think it was unfortunate to get stuck. But it was only myself that put me there. I am disappointed.” Piastri added: “The positive was the other 56 laps. I felt that I had strong pace in all conditions. “That’s what I’ll try to take away from this race. “The team made the […]
