Overview

• McLaren asked Oscar Piastri to relinquish second place to Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix after a slow front-left stop dropped Norris behind following Piastri’s rapid 1.9-second service.
• Piastri initially questioned the call over radio, then complied and was told he could attack again, but Norris held on to finish second behind Max Verstappen.
• David Coulthard labeled the intervention race manipulation, Bernie Ecclestone alleged bias toward Norris, Max Verstappen said he would not have obeyed, and Toto Wolff warned the precedent will be hard to undo.
• Martin Brundle and Peter Windsor backed McLaren’s decision as consistent with prior agreements and vital for team cohesion, citing similar swaps in past races.
• Team principal Andrea Stella said the switch restored the pre-pit-stop order and aligned with McLaren’s principles, while indicating the approach could be reviewed as the title fight narrows, with Piastri leading Norris by 31 points and McLaren well ahead in the constructors’ race.