Brundle questions if Monza team orders derailed Piastri's title bid

Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle has questioned whether McLaren's controversial team orders at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix planted a psychological seed that grew into Oscar Piastri's late-season championship collapse against teammate Lando Norris. Piastri arrived at Monza as the title leader but left after a bruising weekend where he was ordered to hand a position back to Norris following a bungled pit stop sequence—a decision Brundle believes may have had lasting repercussions.

Why it matters:

The mental resilience of a driver is as critical as raw speed in a championship fight. Brundle's analysis points to a potential pivotal moment where team dynamics and a single strategic call may have eroded a driver's confidence at a crucial time, ultimately influencing the destination of the world title. It raises enduring questions about how teams manage internal competition and the fragile psychology at the pinnacle of the sport.

The details:

Brundle, in his post-season column, dissected the chain of events at Monza that he suspects triggered Piastri's downturn. Norris, as the lead McLaren, was asked to yield his priority pit stop to help Piastri defend against Charles Leclerc, with a promise of no undercut. Piastri's stop was a swift 1.9 seconds, but Norris's subsequent stop took a sluggish 5.9 seconds, allowing Piastri to jump ahead. The team then ordered Piastri to give the place back, correcting what they saw as an unfair advantage gained from Norris's sporting sacrifice.

• The Immediate Aftermath: While Piastri was told he was free to race afterwards and remained in Norris's DRS range, Norris pulled away, being the faster combination on the day. Brundle noted, "If Oscar's head dropped because of that then he shouldn't have let that happen," but acknowledged the specific circumstances made it a heavy emotional load.
• The Downward Spiral: What followed was a dramatic loss of form for Piastri. He suffered crashes in both Baku qualifying and the race, committed a jumped start, and endured a six-race podium drought as the title slipped from his grasp.
• Contributing Factors: Brundle also cited two broader reasons for Piastri's struggles: a recognized difficulty in maximizing performance on low-grip surfaces, and a resurgent Max Verstappen and Red Bull winning six of the final nine races.

Looking ahead:

The Monza incident will remain a key reference point in the narrative of the 2025 season and Piastri's development. While Brundle poses a question rather than delivering a verdict, the speculation underscores the intense psychological warfare within a top team fighting for a championship. How Piastri processes this chapter and responds in 2026 will be a major storyline, testing both his mental fortitude and McLaren's management of their two elite drivers.