Lando Norris’ bid for the world championship was controversially preserved thanks to a team order from McLaren, despite a costly slow pit stop that threatened to derail the British driver’s title challenge.
Norris had been poised to finish second behind dominant winner Max Verstappen at Monza, but a sluggish tyre change with just seven laps remaining saw him drop behind his McLaren teammate and title rival, Oscar Piastri. In a dramatic twist on lap 49 of 53 at the Temple of Speed, McLaren instructed Piastri to yield the position to Norris, a directive Piastri reluctantly followed despite visible frustration.
“We said a slow pit stop is part of racing, so I don’t really understand what changed here, but I will do it,” Piastri radioed, clearly disappointed by the decision.
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Verstappen, who won commanding the race by 19.2 seconds to claim his first victory since Imola in May, expressed amusement upon hearing about the swap. “Just because of a slow pit stop?” he chuckled, noting that Norris had reduced Piastri’s championship advantage from 34 points to 31 as the season heads into its final eight rounds.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell in fifth. Lewis Hamilton recovered from a five-place grid penalty to finish sixth, climbing four spots from 10th on the grid.
After a mistake-filled qualifying session, Norris fought back fiercely to join Verstappen on the front row, with Piastri starting just behind. Norris made an aggressive start alongside Verstappen, nearly forcing the Red Bull driver off track on the approach to the first chicane. Verstappen held his line, forcing Norris onto the grass but maintained his lead after the pair separated.
Frustrated, Norris shouted over the radio: “What is this idiot doing? He’s put me on the grass then just cut the corner.”
Verstappen denied any wrongdoing, blaming Norris for pushing him off track, but his race engineer advised him to concede position and avoid a stewards’ investigation. On the second lap, Verstappen gave way, allowing Norris to lead briefly. Piastri had meanwhile slipped behind Leclerc.
Verstappen reclaimed the lead on lap four after executing a decisive overtaking move under braking for the first chicane and never looked back, securing Red Bull’s first win of the season.
McLaren’s race fortunes shifted on lap 47 when Norris’ pit stop was delayed by a sticky front-left tyre, holding him for nearly six seconds. This allowed Piastri, who had pitted earlier and moved up to second, to pass him—only for McLaren to quickly issue the controversial team order swapping the drivers once again.
Oscar Piastri’s race engineer defended the call by acknowledging its difficulty but affirming the team’s belief it was the right decision. Piastri himself appeared resigned but good-natured afterward, reflecting wryly, “A little incident at the end, but it was okay.”
Norris accepted responsibility for his slow pit stop, saying, “I felt like I was there for quite a long time. Sometimes mistakes happen, and today was one of those days.”
With tensions rising and championship stakes high, McLaren’s tactical decisions and the friction between their drivers mark a critical and contentious chapter in this season’s gripping title battle.