Overview

• McLaren instructed Oscar Piastri to hand back second place to Lando Norris late in the Italian Grand Prix after Norris lost track position due to a slow 5.9s stop, compared to Piastri’s 1.9s stop.
• The decision created a six-point swing in the standings and trimmed Piastri’s advantage over Norris to 31 points with three sprints still on the calendar.
• Piastri questioned the order on the radio but yielded after a repeat instruction, later saying he trusts McLaren following internal talks and will not jeopardize long-term success for short-term gains.
• David Coulthard called the intervention manipulative and Bernie Ecclestone suggested it signaled preference for Norris, while McLaren maintained the call corrected an operational error and protected against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
• Toto Wolff warned the move sets a hard-to-undo precedent and Jolyon Palmer highlighted the dilemma McLaren may face if a similar situation decides a race win later in the season.