Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have insisted that protecting their teammates is central to McLaren's use of team orders, despite controversy at the Italian Grand Prix where Piastri was instructed to hand second place back to Norris after a slow pit stop. Both drivers emphasised that the team's long-term success depends on maintaining a positive environment, with Piastri stating, 'The team is priority No 1 and drivers second.'
The decision at Monza followed a faulty wheel gun that delayed Norris's pit stop, costing him the position. McLaren's team principal Andrea Stella defended the move as part of agreed racing principles, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff warned that such fairness could cause headaches later if the drivers are fighting for the title. Piastri currently leads Norris by 31 points in the championship.
Piastri said he did not want any team member to feel responsible for affecting the result, adding, '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.' Norris echoed the sentiment, stressing the importance of team spirit over individual ambition.
Wolff, who managed the fractious Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry in 2016, noted that setting a precedent of swapping positions could become complex. 'What if the team makes another mistake and it's not a pit stop, do you switch them around?' he asked. 'You could have a cascade of events that can be very difficult to manage.'
