Guenther Steiner raises McLaren fear after ‘unnecessary’ Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri team orders at Monza

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McLaren sparked controversy in the 2025 Italian Grand Prix when the team ordered Oscar Piastri to let Lando Norris back through for second place at Monza on Sunday.

The Woking natives had promised Norris that Piastri would not undercut him if the Briton let his Australian teammate pit first to cover the threat of Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in their fight for P3. But a slow pit stop for Norris then meant Piastri jumped his title rival on Lap 47 of 53.

Norris was 3.257 seconds ahead of Piastri on the road before McLaren called the latter in on Lap 45 for his first, and only, stop during the Italian GP. Yet an issue with McLaren’s front-left wheel gun cost Norris four additional seconds in their box when he stopped on the next lap.

McLaren quickly ordered Piastri to swap positions with Norris to atone for costing the latter, which the former agreed to after briefly questioning the decision over the radio. Piastri said that a slow pit stop was “a part of racing”, and ultimately finished 2.144s apart in P2 and P3.

Guenther Steiner fears the long-term consequences of McLaren’s Italian Grand Prix team orders

McLaren can defend their decision to impose team orders by arguing that Piastri would not have finished the Italian GP in front of Norris without the Briton’s slower pit stop at Monza. The Australian may have also faced the same issue as his teammate if he had pitted second.

READ MORE: Every error that cost Lando Norris points in his failed 2024 F1 title challenge

But former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner admits he would not have handled Piastri accidentally undercutting Norris during Sunday’s Italian GP in the same way as McLaren. He also fears the consequences that might await the papaya squad later in the 2025 F1 season.

Steiner told BILD: “I felt the decision was unnecessary because Oscar couldn’t be blamed for Lando’s slow stop. I wouldn’t have done it that way. McLaren have kept the team together well so far, but I’m unsure whether it was the right thing to do in the long run.”

Oscar Piastri still benefitted from Lando Norris’ slower pit stop at Monza, despite McLaren’s team orders

While Steiner and many others have questioned McLaren’s move, Martin Brundle believes it was “fair” that Piastri gave P2 back to Norris at Monza given he still profited from it. The 24-year-old was not in a position to steal P2 before the pit stops, which brought them together.

READ MORE: Six times team orders have decided the result of a Formula 1 Grand Prix

McLaren also gave Piastri full permission to race his 25-year-old partner in the final laps of the Italian GP once they swapped positions. Had McLaren not made the call to impose team orders, they might have even gifted Piastri a six-point swing in the F1 drivers’ championship.

Instead of Piastri seeing Norris cut his 34-point lead to 31 points, as it is now, the Melbourne native would have stretched his advantage over the Bristol-born pilot to 37. So, McLaren put plans into motion to honour their promise to Norris and not influence the drivers’ standings.

Norris then showed he had more pace in his pocket than Piastri during the closing stages of the Italian GP by pulling away to secure P2 at Monza. McLaren gave Piastri a chance to make use of Norris’ slow pit stop bringing them together, which their team orders did not remove.