Bernie Ecclestone questions whether McLaren are biased towards Norris title bid

McLaren came into the weekend aiming to prolongue the dominant form that has now carried them to virtually secure both title races.

In Italy, though, the team encountered commanding - and unexpected - opposition in the form of Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing.

The Dutchman would surprisingly snatch pole position with a rather aggressive setup approach, which would also, contrary to what the Austrian team had shown in previous races, result equally effective in the race.

With Verstappen running away in the lead, McLaren running in P2 and P3 with Norris leading Piastri, chose to gamble and went long hoping a late Safety Car would bring them into contention. When this did not occurr, the Woking-based team then called Piastri into the pits.

One lap later the call came for Norris to follow suit and don on soft tyres to go to the finish. During the British driver's pit stop, though, the McLaren crew took significantly longer than they did with the Australian driver, which resulted in Norris losing P2 to his teammate.

The call then came on the radio from the pitwall to Piastri urging him to give the position back to his teammate, which the championship leader at the time questioned. Following the second call, Piastri moved over to let Norris by. McLaren would score a P2-P3 finish, with Norris ahead, cutting Piastri's points lead down to 31.

In statements collected by Blick, Ecclestone judged McLaren's decision to be 'unfair', and 'punishment' toward Piastri. According to the 94-year-old, McLaren seem to be aiding Norris' championship bid in detriment of the Australian, arguing that events such as slow pit stops are part and parcell of the sport.

“They talk about fairness all the time," he said. "But is it fair for Piastri if he is punished for a mistake made by the team? No.”

“You slowly get the feeling that McLaren prefers a World Champion named Lando Norris. Mistakes such as missed pit stops or engine damage as well as suspension breaks have become rarer, but they are part of the sport,” Ecclestone concluded.

Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko reacted with an outburst of laughter to McLaren's team orders. When asked by Austrian media, Max Verstappen revealed he would not have followed the team order.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, on his part, warned McLaren of the precedent they were setting with the controverted call.

On his part, Piastri gave his reasoning as to why he accepted the order and carried it out as commanded, citing 'protecting the team' as the main factor behind his obedient action.