Jolyon Palmer ‘can’t believe’ what he heard Oscar Piastri say about McLaren team orders at Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Oscar Piastri appeared in the FIA press conference ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Thursday. Predictably, he faced a barrage of questions over McLaren’s Monza team orders controversy.

Piastri emerged ahead of Lando Norris when the two McLaren drivers made their one and only pit stop at the Italian GP. Norris’ slow tyre change saw the pair swap places.

McLaren felt this was unfair and instructed Piastri to let his teammate by. In his view, the team had established that slow pit stops were part of racing, but these were viewed as unique circumstances.

Piastri was asked no fewer than eight questions about the team orders in Baku. He consistently defended McLaren, stressing that their stance was fair.

Oscar Piastri should have said he was willing to give up Monza win to Lando Norris?

Early in the presser, host Tom Clarkson asked Piastri whether he would have given the place back had he been leading. There’s a seven-point difference between first and second, but only three between second and third.

Piastri, who still has a comfortable 31-point lead, replied: “But it wasn’t, Tom, so, I don’t know. I wasn’t in that scenario. Would it have made it a bit more difficult?

“Probably, yes. But I don’t know if the outcome would have been different. I’m not planning on finding myself in that position.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Chequered Flag podcast, Jolyon Palmer questioned why Piastri was so hesitant. It was an opportunity to score some points with the McLaren management, without making any firm commitment.

After hearing the aforementioned clip, Palmer said: “I can’t believe he didn’t just say, ‘Of course I’d have given the place back, of course I would have done’. Don’t even try and make it tricky! It’s not a case that’s come up.

“I don’t think I would have given up a Grand Prix win for that. I don’t know if he’d give up a Grand Prix win for that, but just say it! It’s done and it’s not happened!”

F1 paddock chatter claims McLaren have a favoured driver

Karun Chandhok says Piastri wouldn’t let Norris through in Abu Dhabi if the title goes to the final race. The Australian has been exceptionally compliant so far but even he has his limits.

While McLaren are trying to keep the title fight as fair as possible, Piastri has been subject to more of the team orders this season.

During the Australian GP, McLaren told Piastri not to attack Norris when they encountered traffic. It’s hard to imagine they’d interfere in such a way if the two drivers fight for the Baku win this weekend.

Palmer’s BBC colleague Andrew Benson says there’s a groundswell of opinion in the paddock that McLaren are ‘favouring’ Norris, perhaps inadvertently. For now, this appears to be baseless gossip, but the tension is likely to increase across the final eight races.