Oscar Piastri proved he’s not a ‘pure racer’ with his response to McLaren team orders at Monza

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Oscar Piastri lost out to McLaren teammate Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix after the team controversially used team orders.

The Aussie finished third at Monza behind Norris as Max Verstappen dominated the race for his third win of the season. Piastri qualified P3 and was engaged in a close battle with Charles Leclerc early on.

The Ferrari driver overtook him after the first chicane, before the McLaren star pulled off an ambitious move around the outside at the first Lesmo. Martin Brundle praised Piastri’s ‘hugely impressive’ overtake as he kept hold of third.

At the only round of pit stops, the championship leader came in first and enjoyed a 1.9-second stop. Norris came in a lap later, but the front left wheel gun jammed and he was undercut by Piastri.

Jacques Villeneuve criticised Norris for helping his teammate, as he had told McLaren to pit him after Piastri, which saw him lose position. It would not matter, however, as the Aussie was instructed to hand the position back.

Oscar Piastri told he’s not a ‘pure racer’ like Max Verstappen with his response to McLaren’s team orders at Monza

The Woking outfit’s team orders have sparked much debate around the F1 paddock. David Coulthard accused McLaren of ‘manipulating’ the race, as Piastri lost three points in the title fight through no fault of his own.

Norris’ DNF at Zandvoort was unrelated to team orders at Monza, says team principal Andrea Stella, stressing that it was just circumstantial. Piastri had protested the decision over the radio, but gave the position back anyway.

For Robert Doornbos, this proves that he is not a ‘pure racer’ like Verstappen. The Dutchman says that the Red Bull star would ‘never’ have given the position back, especially in the middle of a title fight.

Asked what he would have done if he were Piastri, Doornbos said via The Pit Talk Podcast: “I would have pulled the plug, pulled the radio plug. Sorry, bad reception, no 5G around this place.

“I mean, even Max, Max had to laugh. I mean, can you imagine, leading the Grand Prix, looking at the TV screens at those speeds, 300kph plus, knowing that there was a pit stop mistake at McLaren, because his engineer didn’t tell him?

“And then Max talks to Gianpiero and says: ‘They did what? They gave the position back?’ Yes, in the international media and said: ‘Oh, no, I would have done the same.’

“But go back to Brazil, for example, a few years ago where he had to give sixth place back to Perez and he didn’t even do it. I mean, it’s not in the DNA of a pure racer like Max, he would never give the position back.”

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Did Oscar Piastri cost himself in the title fight at the Italian Grand Prix?

With McLaren swapping the cars at the Italian Grand Prix, Piastri now holds a 31-point lead in the standings. With eight races to go, the championship is still wide open.

Marc Surer says Piastri’s battle with Leclerc cost him at Monza as he lost time to his teammate. He could have been much closer to Norris and may have overtaken him for second had he dispatched the Ferrari driver sooner.

However, even before team orders were implemented, Norris had been the fastest McLaren, showing that the Brit will give his teammate a tough time in winning the title. But the pit wall’s decision has left many thinking about the team’s true intentions.

Bernie Ecclestone says McLaren would prefer Norris as the champion after favouring him at Monza. Piastri will have to shut out the noise and prove that he deserves to win the title.