F1 Today | Piastri team radio reveals real McLaren's opinion on the swap while Stella take new measures

22:06, 08 Sep

byPietro Vurro

As always, let’s take a look at today’s main Formula 1 news, Monday, 8 September. McLaren's swap decision is revealed by Piastri's team radio, meanwhile Stella says that they have learned a lesson.

Piastri radio reveals not everyone at McLaren agreed with team orders

During the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren found themselves managing a tricky situation between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. After Verstappen’s pit stop, McLaren initially kept both drivers out, hoping for a race neutralisation to allow a cheaper stop. When that strategy became unfeasible, Piastri was called in, maintaining Norris ahead. However, a slow pit stop for Norris allowed Piastri to pass, prompting the team to instruct the Australian driver to give the position back—a move that sparked debate about the fairness and timing of McLaren’s team orders.

Piastri’s radio comments hinted that the team may have shifted their parameters mid-race, as he questioned why a slow stop justified a team order. After the race, he clarified that he accepted the decision, recognizing that Norris had led the race fairly and that championship success should come from controllable performance. The incident has fueled discussions about team strategy and precedent in F1, with figures like Toto Wolff noting the difficulty of overturning such team orders in the future.

Stella pushes McLaren to take measures following Verstappen's dominant win

Not a great weekend for McLaren in Monza, as both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were unable to challenge Max Verstappen, who secured another victory in Italy. The Woking-based team struggled on the low-drag Monza circuit, and Verstappen capitalized on McLaren’s weaknesses to finish 19 seconds ahead. Norris and Piastri also faced challenges during pit stops, including a slow stop for Norris and a team order that forced Piastri to give back a position, further highlighting McLaren’s difficulties in managing the race.

Team Principal Andrea Stella admitted that the team underestimated Red Bull’s pace and acknowledged that the weekend exposed fundamental design limitations in McLaren’s car. He stressed that the team will take the Italian GP as a lesson for the future, aiming to improve performance across all types of circuits rather than being competitive only in certain conditions. Stella noted that the gap to Red Bull was larger than expected, emphasizing the importance of learning from this experience to ensure broader competitiveness.