Lando Norris sends message to Oscar Piastri over McLaren team orders controversy

Lando Norris finished ahead of Oscar Piastri in Italy – but only after McLaren intervened (Photo: Getty)

After Oscar Piastri was controversially ordered to give up second-place at the Italian Grand Prix, Lando Norris claims he would have done the same thing.

Max Verstappen claimed victory at Monza on Sunday but there was late drama between the McLaren drivers and championship contenders when they made their sole pitstops.

Norris was comfortably in front of Piastri throughout the whole race but despite holding track advantage, McLaren pitted the latter first so he could hold off the threat of Charles Leclerc behind.

And when the Brit did box, a wheel gun problem meant he had a very slow stop, allowing the Aussie to overtake him for second-place.

McLaren promptly ordered Piastri to give the place back, with the championship leader fuming over the team radio: ‘We said that a slow pit stop was part of racing, so I don’t really get what changed here. But I’ll do it.’

The result means the 24-year-old’s lead in the standings has been cut down to 31 points with eight races to go, instead of increasing to 37.

Fans and pundits were left divided over the incident, with many arguing they should have raced for the position, while others say that Piastri benefitted from a similar incident last season and effectively owed Norris one.

A slow stop for Norris allowed Piastri to overtake for second place (Photo: Getty)

Giving his honest verdict, Piastri told Sky Sports: ‘When you’re in the same team it’s the same pit crew, same mechanics, there’s a lot at stake not just for us but the whole team.

‘I think today the decision to swap back was fair. Lando was ahead of me the whole race so I don’t have any issues with that. But we’ll definitely discuss it.’

Norris had sympathy for his teammate but believed it was the right call, saying he would have done the same thing: ‘Why should things get defined like that?

It was all smiles for the McLaren team after the race (Photo: Getty)

‘We were free to race after, in fact he gained on the whole situation, he had DRS, he could fight against me so I still lost out.

‘The same thing would have happened if it was vice-versa, if Oscar had the worse pit-stop and I was behind before, I would have let him through.

‘I earned my right to be ahead, to have that fairness. None of us want it to happen like this. I don’t, I didn’t choose for this to happen. I don’t want to let him past or have to get let past.

‘We have to do what we think is correct as a team, do things the fair way, that’s how we want to do it. I think as a team we don’t care what others say, what their opinions on the matter are.’

Norris’ last comments were perhaps a dig at the likes of Verstappen who was left perplexed and in laughter after seeing the McLarens swap in his wing mirrors.

The four-time champion later added: ‘I’m not going to comment on what they have to do because [McLaren] run the team how they want to run it.

‘From my side, mistakes happen, sometimes you can have a slow stop or you can make a mistake or have a failure, that’s all part of racing. It’s between them anyway in the championship so they have full right to do what they want.’

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