Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri react to controversial McLaren decision

It was a reminder of his enduring class, even in what was only his third Grand Prix victory of the season.

Behind him, attention turned to McLaren. Norris ultimately finished second, with teammate Piastri third, though the circumstances of the result ignited debate across the paddock and among fans.

The controversy stemmed from Norris losing time during a slow pit stop, which temporarily promoted Piastri ahead. In the closing stages, McLaren instructed the Australian to hand back the position, arguing Norris had been ahead throughout until the delay. Piastri obeyed, though not without initial reluctance.

“I think today the decision to swap back was fair,” Piastri told Sky Sports F1. “Lando was ahead of me the whole race so I don’t have any issues with that. But we’ll definitely discuss it.”

Norris defended the call, insisting it was about correcting a situation rather than favoritism.

“We were still free to race after and he gained from the situation having DRS to fight against me so I still lost out through it,” he said post-race. “The same thing would have happened vice versa. I earned my right to be ahead, to have that fairness.

“We don’t care what others say or opinions on it, we do it the way we want to, the way we think is correct.”

The swap trimmed Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ standings to 31 points with eight races remaining. 

While the decision may set a complicated precedent for how teams handle internal battles, Monza ultimately belonged to Verstappen, who left with history made, with McLaren left to deal with a fanbase and garage split over its approach.