Azerbaijan GP: McLaren 'clarify' racing rules with Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris after Italian GP swap drama
Title leader Oscar Piastri says he and Lando Norris had "good discussions with the team" after the on-track swap following the latter's slow pit stop at Monza; watch Friday's practice sessions for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at 9.30am and 1pm, live on Sky Sports F1
Friday 19 September 2025 08:55, UK
Oscar Piastri says McLaren have clarified "a lot of things" about how after he and Lando Norris go racing over the remainder of their title fight after the controversy around their swap in the Italian Grand Prix.
McLaren's 'papaya rules' of racing conduct between the team-mates were put under scrutiny at the last race when a slow pit stop for Norris, at the time their lead car in second place, dropped him behind Piastri, who had enjoyed a trouble-free service a lap earlier.
The team swiftly instructed Piastri to give the place back, which he did, and the original order was restored behind Red Bull's runaway race winner Max Verstappen with second-placed Norris trimming his team-mate's title lead to 31 points.
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McLaren boss Andrea Stella said after the race that they would review the situation and, speaking ahead of F1's return to action at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Thursday's Drivers' Press Conference in Baku, Piastri said they were "very aligned" and ready to move on.
"We've had good discussions with the team. It was obviously a highly talked about moment," said Piastri.
"We have clarified a lot of things and we know how we are going to go racing, going forward which is the most important thing.
"What's happened is done and I'm excited to go racing again."
Staying tight-lipped on what exactly had been discussed and what, if anything, had changed, Piastri added: "I think we've had a lot of discussions about how we want to go racing and a lot of that is to stay for us because, ultimately, if we give out that information, we will become very easy targets to pick off because everyone knows what we will do.
"That's all very aligned with all of us but stays in-house."
A similarly tight-lipped Norris, speaking in his later media session, said: "Of course, it was a talking point. It's all we ever heard from every person doing our interviews [post-race], it was about that.
"It was something that was brought up, it was something we all spoke about as a team and we all have a very good understanding of and all accepted.
"We are happy, we continue working the way we want and that's all we need to do."
'A pit stop is part of racing' - Piastri clarifies 'other factor' that prompted swap
Piastri did, however, clarify one key specific aspect of McLaren's decision making at Monza.
When told over team radio that he had to give the place back to Norris, Piastri had initially questioned the call by saying: "We said a slow pit stop was part of racing, so I don't really get what's changed here."
Two weeks on and Piastri said it was the fact McLaren had pitted their cars in an unconventional order - with the second rather than first car on the road given the initial stop - which proved the a "contributing factor" to the decision rather than Norris' slow stop in isolation.
"For Monza, there was another factor outside of the slow pit stop being the order we pitted in," he said.
"That was a contributing factor to why we swapped."
Asked about his radio comment at the time, Piastri said: "I do still stand by it. That is a decision we've made, that a slow pit stop is a part of racing.
"Obviously, in the car at the time, the context wasn't there about what else had happened in terms of the pit stop sequencing.
"Again, it was decided that there was another factor for the reasoning in swapping. Every situation is going to look a bit different.
"There was another factor that was ultimately deemed to be the reason for the swap and I respect that decision.
Piastri was also asked whether he would have done the same had he been asked to move aside from the lead of the race rather than second place.
"I don't know. I wasn't in that scenario," he replied. "Would it have made it a bit more difficult? Probably yes.
"I don't know if the outcome would have been different. I'm not planning on finding myself in that position."
Will anything change once McLaren clinch constructors' title?
McLaren will secure their 10th constructors' Championship on Sunday if they outscore Ferrari by nine points and are not outscored to any significant degree by Mercedes (12 points) and Red Bull (33 points).
With seven races left in the season beyond this weekend, a Baku coronation would represent the earliest championship win in history, but both drivers have insisted that wrapping up the teams' crown would have no bearing on their own head-to-head title fight.
"It will be the same as what we do now," said Norris.
"Things are always changing a little bit behind the scenes a little bit.
"Every week there's more discussions and more clarity and trying to improve everything we can as a team in terms of speed, decisions, fairness and equality and all those things of things."
Piastri said: "It doesn't change anything in the approach. It's a testament to all the hard work from the team.
"It's a pretty remarkable position that we're even talking about clinching the Constructors' Championship this early. So, it's just a very proud moment for everybody, myself included."
Sky Sports F1's Azerbaijan GP schedule
Friday September 19
6.55am: F2 Practice
9am: Azerbaijan GP Practice One (session starts at 9.30am)*
10.55am: F2 Qualifying
11.40am: Team Principals' Press Conference
12.45pm: Azerbaijan GP Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)*
2.15pm: The F1 Show*
Saturday September 20
9.15am: Azerbaijan GP Practice Three (session starts at 9.30am)
11.10am: F2 Sprint Race
12.15pm: Azerbaijan GP Qualifying build-up
1pm: AZERBAIJAN GP QUALIFYING
3pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook
Sunday September 21
7.55am: F2 Feature Race
10.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Azerbaijan GP build-up*
12pm: THE AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX*
2pm: Chequered Flag: Azerbaijan GP reaction
3pm: Ted's Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 heads to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
