Piastri says talks resolved frustration after McLaren team order as Norris closes gap in title race

Oscar Piastri said it took a good discussion to resolve his frustration after McLaren ordered him to let Lando Norris pass at the Italian Grand Prix, a decision that allowed Norris to close the gap in the title race. Speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, Piastri described the process of clearing the air within the team and indicated that peace has held at McLaren for now. Naturally there have been thoughts, he said, noting that there had been good discussions with the team and that they had clarified a lot of things and know how we will go racing going forwards. The remarks come after a weekend at Monza in which a slow pit stop for Norris and the sequence of pit decisions led to Piastri yielding to his teammate, an exchange that was radioed with some resistance before the decision was finalised.

That swap was framed, internally, as part of a broader balance of risk for McLaren in a tight championship fight. Piastri acknowledged there were multiple factors involved in the decision, saying that that was a contributing factor to why we swapped and that he respects the team's decisions and trusts they will make the right ones. He also noted another element from Monza — the order in which the two drivers were pitted to cover Ferrari's Charles Leclerc — which he said helped set the strategic direction for the race.

Max Verstappen won the race as he was expected to do, with Norris finishing second and Piastri third. The result left Norris 31 points adrift of Piastri in the championship standings, a gap that could shrink or widen depending on the performance at the next round of the season. Norris acknowledged the optics around the team dynamic, saying that he was not surprised by the criticism that followed the swap. Not in the world that we live in nowadays, the British driver said. Because all people want to do is be negative and talk badly about others.

The calendar moves toward the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where teams and drivers will again weigh the consequences of strategic decisions in a tight, multi-team battle for the title. Piastri stressed that the air was now cleared and that McLaren would continue to refine its approach in the sprint toward the season finale. We know how we will go racing going forwards, he said, underscoring a sense of renewed unity inside the pit wall.