Max Verstappen Reveals Stance on McLaren Team Order Controversy

Why it matters:

Max Verstappen has weighed in on McLaren's controversial team order at the Italian Grand Prix, stating he would not have ceded track position if he were in Oscar Piastri's situation. His comments highlight a key debate within F1 regarding intra-team racing ethics.

The details:

• During the Italian Grand Prix, a slow pit stop for Lando Norris saw him rejoin the race behind teammate Oscar Piastri, despite Norris having run ahead previously.
• McLaren then instructed Piastri to allow Norris past, an order Piastri reluctantly followed.
• Verstappen initially avoided directly addressing the incident when speaking to media, remarking, "I know you want a nice answer to that, but that's not my problem."
• However, in a later interview with ServusTV, Verstappen gave a definitive answer. When asked to put himself in Piastri's shoes, he stated, "Then, I wouldn't have done it."

The big picture:

Verstappen's comments followed his dominant third victory of the season, finishing 19 seconds ahead of Norris – his largest winning margin of the year. He crossed the line well ahead of both McLaren drivers.

Between the lines:

Despite the Italian crowd largely supporting Ferrari, Verstappen expressed gratitude for the significant support he received on the podium, calling it "probably the best podium in the season in terms of what you see and how big the crowd is."