Overview

• After a slow pit stop dropped Lando Norris behind Oscar Piastri at Monza, McLaren instructed Piastri to return second place, which he did as Max Verstappen won the race.
• Team principal Andrea Stella said the call upheld McLaren’s internal principles by reinstating the order that existed before the pit stops.
• Critics including David Coulthard and Bernie Ecclestone labeled the move manipulative or biased, while Toto Wolff warned it creates a precedent that will be difficult to reverse.
• Supporters such as Martin Brundle and Nico Rosberg argued the reversal was the fairest outcome under the circumstances and consistent with clear team guidelines.
• Lando Norris was booed on the podium, and the standings now show Piastri leading Norris by 31 points with eight races left, with Verstappen a further 43 points back.