Piastri Concedes Team Orders at British GP Were Unfair to Norris

ByPasarextra

Oscar Piastri Reflects on British Grand Prix Controversy

Oscar Piastri, the F1 world championship leader, admitted that his request for team orders during the British Grand Prix wouldn’t have been fair to his teammate Lando Norris. The Australian driver’s 10-second penalty for a safety car infringement effectively handed the victory to Norris, trimming Piastri’s lead in the championship to eight points.

The incident occurred on lap 21 when Piastri braked on Hangar Straight just as the safety car lights went out, signaling a restart. This move led to Max Verstappen narrowly avoiding a collision with Piastri and accidentally overtaking him. The FIA stewards determined that Piastri had driven erratically behind the safety car, resulting in the penalty.

After pitting from the lead and serving his penalty, Piastri returned to the track behind Norris and asked the team to implement team orders. “I don’t think the penalty before was very fair. I know it’s a big question, but if you don’t think it was fair either, I think we should swap back and race,” he said on the team radio. His race engineer, Tom Stallard, later informed him that McLaren would not be issuing a swap.

“I thought I would ask the question,” Piastri told reporters after the race. “I knew what the answer was going to be before I asked, but I just wanted a small glimmer of hope that maybe I could get it back. But no, I knew it wasn’t going to happen.”

Despite being visibly frustrated and upset with his runner-up finish, Piastri acknowledged that the team handled the situation correctly, even though it didn’t work out in his favor. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it,” he said. “Lando didn’t do anything wrong. So I don’t think it would have been particularly fair to have swapped.”

Piastri also emphasized that the result won’t impact his attitude towards the battle for the championship. “It doesn’t change much for the championship. I feel like I did a good job today, and I’ll use the frustration to make sure I win some more races later. It obviously hurts at the moment. It’s a different hurt though, because I know I deserved a lot more than what I got today. I drove a really strong race, and when you don’t get the result you think you deserve, it hurts, especially when it’s not in your control.”

After the race, Piastri congratulated Norris immediately but didn’t acknowledge his team-mate throughout the post-race press conference. Instead, he shifted the conversation to Nico Hulkenberg, who finally stood on an F1 podium after 239 race starts. “I have a question for Nico: how does it feel after 15 years of F1 to get on the podium, and the trophy is made out of LEGO that you can pull apart?” Piastri asked. Hulkenberg responded, “I love LEGO. It’s good, my daughter can play with it. You’re always going to see the bright side, but a bit of silver or gold would have been nice too.”

Key Takeaways from the British Grand Prix

  • Penalty Controversy: Piastri’s 10-second penalty for a safety car infringement cost him the victory, leading to a tense moment with his teammate.
  • Team Orders Request: Despite knowing the likely outcome, Piastri requested team orders, showing his determination to fight for the win.
  • Handling the Situation: Piastri acknowledged that the team made the right decision, emphasizing fairness and respect for his teammate.
  • Championship Impact: Although disappointed, Piastri remains focused on the championship, using the frustration as motivation for future races.
  • Post-Race Interactions: Piastri’s focus shifted to Hulkenberg during the press conference, highlighting the significance of the German driver’s first podium in over a decade.