Where Piastri disagrees with Verstappen over controversial decision

13:49, 09 Sep

byNorberto Mujica

McLaren's papaya rules, have once again reignited the debate on team orders. Max Verstappen recently made his feelings clear on how he would've approached the situation, but for championship leader Oscar Piastri, there was only one way the situation was going to go.

And that was to abide by his team's command. After the race Verstappen was asked by Austrian media if he would've done the same as Piastri did, i.e, let his teammate by. The Dutchman stated he would not.

Verstappen wasn't the only one to comment on the much discussed decision, with Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff warning the papaya team of the precedent such an instruction sets.

Amid the debate the route McLaren opted to go for in a bid to maintain as high a-fairness standards as they possibly could, and not let the team interfere in any way with the ongoing title battle Piastri and Norris are currently waging, the Australian explained why he let Norris by, albeit not without suggesting the team were shifting the previously agreed upon parameters.

The future played a key role in Piastri's decision

"We've said many times that we don't want the chance of success just for this year," Piastri told GPblog. "There's a big regulation change next year – we don't know how competitive we're going to be, and we don't know how competitive anyone's going to be.

"Ultimately, we want the best chance at winning championships for as long as we're Formula 1 drivers, and we're both at McLaren for a very long time.

Piastri puts himself second to McLaren

"Protecting the people around us that give us this opportunity is a very important thing. It's easy enough to put yourself second at times like that."

Piastri did highlight that were the situation to have been different, then the team order might not have come at all. The Australian then reaffirmed his intent to protect the team's harmony was of the utmost importance at the time.

"If we were fighting very closely for the whole race, then it's slightly different," the championship leader continued. "But Lando was ahead by a few seconds the whole race, so there's no concern for me with that.

"Again, we don't just want this year to fight for a championship; we want it for as long as possible. Protecting the people, that includes the people doing the pit stops.

"It's not a very nice feeling, I would imagine. It's important to protect all the people that we have because that's what gives us a championship hope for years to come," he concluded.

The gap Piastri holds over Norris was cut back by 3 points and it now stands at 31. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is next up on the calendar, where the Australian took the win with a daring overtake on Charles Leclerc.