Oscar Piastri told one Monza mistake before McLaren’s team orders debacle ‘cost him a lot’ in the Italian Grand Prix

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Oscar Piastri was on the wrong end of McLaren’s controversial team orders during the 2025 F1 Italian Grand Prix, as he yielded a place and points to title rival Lando Norris.

The Australian now leads the Briton by 31 points atop the drivers’ championship with eight rounds of the 2025 F1 season still to play. Piastri has led the standings since round five back in April, and will win the title if he avoids being outscored by Norris by 3.8 points per round.

Piastri could have even been on course to win his maiden F1 drivers’ championship this year by avoiding being outscored by Norris by 4.6 points per round if McLaren did not issue team orders at Monza. Instead of gaining three points on Norris in the Italian GP, Piastri lost three.

McLaren told Piastri to yield P2 to Norris at Monza on Lap 47 of last Sunday’s Italian GP after inadvertently creating a scenario where the Australian undercut the Briton. Norris let Piastri pit first on L45 on the basis that he would not be undercut, but a slower stop meant he was.

Oscar Piastri cost himself ‘a lot’ fighting Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the Italian Grand Prix

Yet Marc Surer believes Piastri had already cost himself “a lot of time” in the Italian GP, after battling Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc long before McLaren’s team order debacle at Monza. He did not overtake the Monegasque until L6, after being passed at the Rettifilo Chicane on L2.

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Leclerc got the jump on Piastri out of Turn 2 after the McLaren racer found himself boxed in as Red Bull ace Max Verstappen let Norris through into the lead of the Italian GP, having cut the Rettifilo Chicane on Lap 1. Piastri’s compromised exit was a welcome present for Leclerc.

Piastri tried to respond immediately into the Roggia Chicane, but Leclerc had the Melbourne native covered. It ultimately took Piastri until Lap 6 to get back ahead of the Ferrari pilot for P3, at which point Norris – who was again behind Verstappen – carved out a 3.273s margin.

Surer told Motorsport-Total: “The battle with Leclerc cost him a lot of time. He could have saved himself that.”

McLaren’s team orders at Monza masked Oscar Piastri hurting his race fighting Charles Leclerc

Leclerc overtaking Piastri on Lap 2 of the Italian GP and being able to hold the McLaren man back until Lap 6 at Monza on Sunday ultimately ruined the Australian’s chances to challenge Norris rightfully on track. Only McLaren’s dodgy pit stop then brought their drivers together.

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Piastri could also look back at Leclerc overtaking him briefly for P3 on the opening lap of the Italian GP as another reason why his race did not pan out as desired. The Monegasque got a better exit from the Rettifilo Chicane on Lap 1, but the Australian hit back at the first Lesmo.

Losing track position on the opening lap to Leclerc meant McLaren did not see any repeat of Piastri overtaking Norris at the Roggia Chicane in the 2024 Italian GP – which ultimately gave Leclerc an opening he utilised to win last year’s race at Monza – or into Lesmo One and Two.

So, while Piastri might feel somewhat aggrieved that McLaren ordered him to let Norris take P2 in the 2025 Italian GP, the championship leader can look at his battle with Leclerc as a big reason why his day did not play out as the Australian would have wanted at Monza this year.