Piastri Questions McLaren's Orders: "Were We Denied a Chance?"

Piastri Seeks Answers from McLaren on Team Orders: “If We’re Denied Opportunities…”

17/03/2025

Oscar Piastri wants clarity from McLaren after team orders prevented him from challenging Lando Norris during a chaotic Australian Grand Prix.

Piastri has stated that he will seek clarification from McLaren F1 regarding the team orders that were imposed during the Australian Grand Prix, the opening race of the Formula 1 season.

Heading into the race, McLaren had assured both drivers that they would be free to race each other after securing a front-row lockout in Melbourne. However, midway through the race, Piastri was instructed to hold position despite closing in on his teammate, Lando Norris, who was leading.

“Oscar, we need to hold position, please. We’re on dry tyres now, clearing backmarkers. Next up is Ocon,” his race engineer, Tom Stallard, told him on Lap 29.

At the same time, Norris received a similar message.

Piastri acknowledged the instruction but voiced his frustration: “Okay. I’m faster, but alright.”

One lap later, in a radio exchange not broadcasted during the race, Piastri questioned the decision: “Are we still holding position now that we’re clear of traffic?”

Stallard replied: “Yes, for now. Keep us updated on your pace.”

A few laps later, Norris was informed that the hold order had been lifted. However, a small mistake at Turn 6 put Piastri out of DRS range, preventing him from challenging his teammate.

Reflecting on the situation, Piastri—who eventually finished ninth after a costly mistake in the final rain shower—expressed his desire for further discussions with the team.

“Yes, the race was chaotic with extreme conditions. We were dealing with backmarkers, a drying track, and uncertainty about more rain. I want to talk to the team to understand the reasoning behind the call because lapped cars can also create overtaking opportunities,” he said.

“If we’re denied those opportunities… Well, you know, these decisions can always go either way. I just want to review it with the team.”

“By the time we were free to race again, I struggled to close back up to Lando. At that point, there was nothing more I could do. So, while it was probably a minor moment in our race, I still want to clarify it with the team.”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown Responds

McLaren CEO Zak Brown later addressed the team orders, downplaying their impact on Piastri.

“It was just a temporary call as we navigated through lapped cars. We wanted to ensure both drivers could get past safely because there was only one dry line. If they fought each other with a backmarker in between, one of them would have had to go onto the wet line, and that could have ended in disaster. Otherwise, they were free to race,” Brown explained.

While McLaren insists there was no harm done, Piastri remains keen to understand the team’s approach—especially in a season where every chance to fight for position could make a difference.

McLaren Team Orders: Piastri Demands Answers After Aussie GP

Piastri Questions McLaren’s Orders: “Were We Denied a Chance?” Piastri Questions McLaren’s Orders: “Were We Denied a Chance?”

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21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
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21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
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21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
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22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
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22 MAR 07:00 - 08:00
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23 MAR 07:00 - 09:00

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
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Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
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Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
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Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
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