A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
During the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren found themselves in a rather difficult position involving both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. However, the Aussie driver's radio comments may hint at McLaren forcing the line to get their desired outcome.
Max Verstappen's blistering pace and the low tyre degradation levels experienced at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza put McLaren under pressure.
When the Dutchman received the call to switch his old medium tyres for new hards, the Woking-based team opted to leave both drivers out and play the long game, hoping for a race neutralisation would allow them to make a cheap pit stop.
When it became clear that would no longer be an option, the team called in Piastri to keep the order as it was with Norris ahead of the Aussi driver.
The following lap, it was the Briton's turn to ditch his worn medium tyres for fresh softs. However, McLaren's efforts to maintain the order between their drivers intact was upended by a slow stop.
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Norris ultimately had to watch Piastri go by as he exited the pits. This situation did not satisfy McLaren as the team quickly got on the radio and adviced Piastri to give the position back. Piastri's reply marks a telling twist in the story so far.
Piastri hints at McLaren changing the parameters mid-race
Via the radio, the Australian driver questioned the team's decision, indicating a slow pit stop fell outside of the parameters that outlined an acceptable case for a team order to be issued.
"We said a slow pit stop was part of racing, so I don't know what has changed," was Piastri's comment on the radio.
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When confronted with his statement after the race, the Australian driver told GPblog: "I think the radio call kind of says enough. I'm sure we'll discuss it again.
"I think today it was a fair decision," Piastri added, further clarifying his stance on the much discussed strategic decision. "Lando was ahead the whole race and again it wasn't through any fault of his own.
"For me, that's fine. Ultimately, whoever wins the championship wants to have won it as much as they can through their own performances and things they can control. Today, that wasn't one of those things," he concluded.
Was McLaren's decision right or wrong? Here's an in-depth analysis of the situation that McLaren faced, why they approached it the way they did, and the revelation behind it.
Toto Wolff saw the order as a precedent difficult to overturn, in statements following the race.
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