"Even Max Verstappen knows this was a joke": Fans react to McLaren's mid-race Oscar Piastri-Lando Norris switch

The McLaren F1 team was responsible for tons of drama towards the end of the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, as they asked Oscar Piastri to let Lando Norris through after a slow pit stop for the latter. Fans online have shared their reaction to this incident, with many left baffled by the Papaya team's orders.

While Max Verstappen was in a league of his own at the Italian GP and claimed the victory, the championship protagonists were left to fight for the remaining two podium spots. Lando Norris was ahead of Oscar Piastri throughout the race, up until a 6 second pit stop for the Briton meant his teammate was able to undercut him in the final stages of the race.

But the McLaren team asked Piastri to give up the spot. The Aussie driver shared his disagreement with the team's rationale for this, but still gave the position up. Fans online have shared their reaction to this, with many criticising the British team for their team orders under their Instagram post.

"No prioritising" 💀 even max knows this was a joke," said one fan.

Screen grab from comment under McLaren's Instagram post [via Instagram/@mclaren]

"You just like putting both drivers in difficult positions," said another user.

"Papaya anti race rules," joked another fan.

Fans on X also shared their disappointment with what occurred out on track at Monza.

"What a joke gifting lando second place lmaooo. It wasn’t Oscar’s fault you idiots messed up the pit stop," said one user.

"Slow pit stops are part of RACING! ****ing ****show of a team," claimed another fan.

"For the next races, you could just not send Oscar's car out on track. That way, you ensure Zak's favorite driver wins the championship," wrote another user.

With this result, Lando Norris has cut Oscar Piastri's lead in the 2025 championship by three points. It remains to be seen if these points will play a big role going into the final eight rounds of the season.

Max Verstappen laughs out loud when told about the Lando Norris-Oscar Piastri mid-race switch

Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris on the podium after the Italian GP - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen laughed out loud on the team radio when Gianpiero Lambiase told him about McLaren having switched Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after the former's slow pit stop at the Italian GP. The Dutchman even questioned the rationale behind the decision made by his rival team.

"Norris and Piastri have swapped places, Max," said Lambiase.

"Hah! Just because he had a slow stop?" replied Verstappen while laughing.

But Verstappen surely did not pay much attention to the situation after this moment ,as he was preoccupied with his win. He claimed his third win of the 2025 season after starting on pole and having overtaken Norris shortly after he had let him past in the initial stages of the race.

About the author

Samyak Sharma is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda, covering Formula One and IndyCar. A graduate in Mass Media and Journalism, he aims to transform his lifelong passion for playing and following sports into a thriving career in sports journalism. He believes that sports naturally deliver the most compelling stories, needing no script to captivate the world.

Samyak is dedicated to providing detailed and insightful coverage, keeping an eye on all developments on and off the track to ensure timely and accurate reporting. He closely follows Max Verstappen, inspired by the Dutchman's ability to balance precision and aggression on the track.

Samyak envisions the continued growth of motorsports globally and hopes to see Formula One return to the V8 engines while still continuing to be sustainable. As for IndyCar, he envisions greater international exposure to rival the global reach of F1.

Outside the world of motorsports, Samyak immerses himself in his love for football and cricket, passionately cheering for his favorite team, Manchester United. He also enjoys catching the occasional tennis match, broadening his appreciation for sports.

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Edited by Mitali