McLaren's team order: "We had discussions"

Following the controversial pit order at the recent Italian Grand Prix, the two World Championship and team rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have held clarifying talks with the McLaren team management.

September 18, 2025

From: dpa

"We had discussions about how we wanted to race," said Formula 1 leader Piastri. However, the 24-year-old Australian didn't want to go into detail ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. "That's between us, otherwise we'd be easy to attack," Piastri emphasized, adding: "You can't plan every single scenario."

After a botched pit stop in Monza, Piastri had to let teammate Norris overtake the Briton. Norris had been called in after Piastri for a tire change, which can often be a tactical disadvantage. A long pit stop then saw him re-enter behind Piastri, before the latter, on the orders of the pit lane, allowed him to overtake him again. "I didn't deserve second place in terms of speed either," said Piastri.

Piastri: Decide our own destiny

He had just finished third behind Red Bull winner Max Verstappen, who also finished behind Norris. In the World Championship standings, Piastri has a 31-point lead over Norris before the final eight Grands Prix of this year, and 94 points ahead of four-time world champion Verstappen. "We have enough leeway to decide our own fate in the World Championship," said Piastri.

The McLaren bosses, who may already be celebrating another Constructors' Championship triumph in Baku, want the race to be decided between their two drivers on the track. There's no single number one. So far, this has mostly worked out well, with both drivers following instructions. When asked if he would have given up his position if it had been a matter of victory, Piastri smiled and replied: "But it didn't work out."

Schlagwörter: Motorsport Formula 1 McLaren