Is McLaren Manipulating the F1 Championship? | 2025 Italian GP Perspective

I’m Kym Illman and this is my take on one of the weekend’s biggest talking points from the 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza: the moment McLaren asked Oscar Piastri to hand second place back to Lando Norris after a slow pit stop. It was a short exchange on the radio, but it sparked an enormous online reaction — boos on the podium, heated social media threads and questions around fairness, team orders and where responsibility really sits when a team makes a mistake.

What actually happened at Monza?

During the race, Lando Norris came into the pits and, because of a slower-than-ideal stop, rejoined the track behind his teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren’s engineers then requested that Oscar allow Lando past to restore the original running order that McLaren had anticipated. Oscar initially acknowledged that slow stops are part of racing, but when asked by the team to hand the position back, he complied.

The result of that swap was a subtle shift in the Drivers’ Championship maths: Oscar now leads Lando by 31 points rather than 37. That single five-point swing might not seem huge in isolation, but it’s fuel for debate about a slippery slope: at what point would a team refuse to hand positions back if the stakes were higher? And would the same request be made if it were the final round of the season and the championship was on the line?

Team orders: legal, common, and contentious

Team orders are not new and they are not against the rules. Motorsport authorities treat team orders as part of the tactical toolbox a team may use. The difference between what McLaren did and, say, a corrupt attempt to buy a result is crucial: the former is an internal instruction to their own drivers; the latter would involve an external party manipulating results for payment and would carry criminal or regulatory consequences.

We’ve seen similar moments in the past. The infamous Multi-21 incident (Vettel and Webber) is a notable example of a public falling-out over team instructions. There have also been occasions when drivers have refused to obey team requests — simple reminders that drivers are individuals and can choose to push back. Yet many drivers will point out that an F1 result is rarely the product of a solo effort: there are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people behind a podium finish. Drivers take trophies on behalf of a team, and teams place those trophies in their cabinets.

Fairness, optics and the fan reaction

The optics of McLaren’s decision were poor for some fans: Lando was booed on the podium and social media quickly divided. It’s understandable why fans felt aggrieved — if you back a particular result (for example, a Max–Oscar Quinella in a betting context), a team order can radically alter the outcome of bets and the perception of who “earned” their finishing position on track.

But it’s worth asking: who should fans be directing frustration at — the driver who complies with a team instruction, or the team that made the call? Lando didn’t ask to be gifted the place; in fact, drivers are often placed in awkward positions where they must balance individual ambition with team strategy and expectations.

The reality is complicated. If McLaren’s instruction was a quick fix to right a strategic wrong made by their pit wall, it’s an understandable, if unpopular, pragmatic decision. If teams start applying different standards when championships are on the line, we’ll quickly find public trust in those decisions challenged. Where to draw the line between acceptable team orders and unacceptable manipulation remains a topic for ongoing debate.

Monza’s track invasion — passion turning dangerous

Monza’s post-race track invasion is one of the most electric spectacles in sport — tens of thousands pouring onto the tarmac in celebration. But this year, the scene near the Ferrari garage became tightly packed and, about an hour after the race, medical staff were forced to pluck distressed fans from the crowd. The heat radiating off such a dense mass of bodies — combined with the late-summer sun — created potentially dangerous conditions.

Drivers like Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton did come out to greet fans, which thrilled many, but crowd safety needs to be front and centre. When the temperature and the density of the crowd stack up, things can quickly become dangerous. A few moments of jubilation shouldn’t come at the expense of fan welfare, and event organisers will need to account for comfortable egress and emergency access when planning post-race activities.

When passion overwhelms safety

It’s worth recognising how much fans give to these spectacles. But organisers, teams and circuits must match passion with sensible crowd management: hydration points, shaded waiting areas and clear emergency access routes. Monza is a cathedral of speed, and while the traditions are part of its charm, safety can’t be left as an afterthought.

Press pen, social media and a few human moments

The weekend at Monza was full of human micro-stories that make a Grand Prix feel alive. Franco Colapinto, for instance, needed a quick sit-down and some water in the press pen after the race — a reminder that motorsport is physically demanding at all levels. I also saw young fans like 11-year-old Liam (dressed in a race suit) collecting signatures and laughing with drivers; moments like those remind us why people travel around the globe for a few hours of racing.

Social media amplified everything. One post I made reached nearly 1.8 million people and attracted more than 60,000 likes — but also dozens of nasty comments that I deleted and accounts that I blocked. Lando and his partner Magui bore the brunt of much of that negativity. The downside of the always-on, immediate feedback loop is that vitriol spreads quickly and unfairly.

Driver attire, timing and ritual

There were lighter observations too: drivers sprinting for the grid anthem (despite constant PA reminders), Charles and Max having a foot race while photographers chased them, and little changes to procedural niceties like driver-number markers on the national anthem stage that tidy things up visually. And of course, the quirky behind-the-scenes details — a mechanic’s chalk drawing in the Red Bull garage or Andre Stella’s neatly arranged journalists’ phones during a McLaren press conference — add texture to the weekend.

Cars, arrivals and off-track style

Part of the Monza parade is what people drive to the paddock. This year produced a mix of supercars and more modest rides: Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin Valhalla stood out — a mid-engine, 1,064-horsepower machine that costs around 1,000,000 USD. Ferrari drivers arrived in Purosangue, others in electric Alpine A290s, and some nostalgic cars — like a Ford Capri — made an appearance among the Red Bull contingent.

Small details made for good theatre: Fernando’s bespoke sunglasses with Aston Martin branding, Red Bull mechanics’ chalk art outside the pit box and a gift of a replacement Dutch GP trophy after a broken original. Little human vignettes like those are what bring race weekends to life beyond timings and pit stops.

So: was McLaren manipulating the championship?

Strictly speaking, no — McLaren applied team orders, which are legal and common. Whether that feels like “manipulation” is largely a matter of perspective. If you’re supporting a single driver and expect pure, uncompromised racing every lap, the intervention feels unjust. If you’re viewing the team’s longer-term competitive strategy, it’s an understandable corrective action when a pit-stop error has altered their intended running order.

Where accountability sits is the more interesting question. If a pit stop error cost a driver a positional advantage, asking a teammate to hand it back is a way of mitigating a mistake. But transparency matters. If teams start creating ad-hoc rules about when swaps are acceptable (e.g., whenever a title isn’t at stake), trust will erode. The cleanest approach is consistency, and a willingness to explain decisions plainly — and quickly — to fans.

Conclusion

Team orders are part of the fabric of Formula 1. McLaren’s decision at Monza sits within that tradition. It was an immediate fix after an imperfect pit stop that altered the running order. While the optics and emotional reaction from fans were immediate and intense, it’s important to separate an internal sporting instruction from corrupt manipulation. The bigger lessons are about clarity, consistency and responsibility — from teams to circuits to fans — so that passion doesn’t spill over into unfair blaming or dangerous behaviour.

Monza gave us great racing, memorable images and a few awkward conversations. I’d encourage fans to direct criticism at the correct target — usually the team — and to reserve personal attacks on drivers. The paddock is a place of human stories as much as high-tech engineering, and most of the time everyone is doing their best in a high-pressure environment.

FAQ

Why did Oscar Piastri give Lando Norris the place?

McLaren asked Oscar to hand the position back after Lando emerged from the pits behind due to a slow stop. Oscar complied with the team’s instruction. Team orders are common and legal in F1.

Are team orders allowed in F1?

Yes. Team orders are permitted under the sporting regulations. They are treated as part of the strategic decisions a team can make. What isn’t allowed is external corruption or deliberate match-fixing instigated by third parties.

Could Oscar have refused?

In practice, yes — drivers can refuse team orders. There are historical precedents where drivers declined or openly disobeyed directions from the team. Refusal can lead to locker-room tension or repercussions, but it’s within a driver’s power to choose.

Did the swap change the championship standings?

It adjusted the gap between Oscar and Lando by a few points: Oscar now leads by 31 points instead of 37. While not decisive in itself, such swings can be significant depending on how the rest of the season unfolds.

Was the booing on the podium fair?

Booing a driver is counterproductive when the instruction likely came from the team. Fans understandably feel emotional, but calling out the team’s decision-making is more appropriate than directing vitriol at a driver who complied with team orders.

Is the Monza track invasion safe?

Track invasions are a beloved tradition, but they carry safety risks, especially when crowds become densely packed and temperatures rise. Organisers should plan for crowd control, hydration and emergency access to keep fans safe.

How can fans express disagreement with team orders responsibly?

Fans can voice opinions through social channels and commentators, engage in reasoned conversation and direct complaints at the team rather than individual drivers. Constructive criticism that focuses on policy and decision-making is more likely to influence change than personal attacks.