Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are determined to take control of their own fates as they battle for the 2025 Formula One World Championship. Both McLaren drivers are locked in a tight two-horse race, and despite a controversial team order swap during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, they remain confident that the outcome will depend on their performance, not their team’s decisions.
The controversy stemmed from McLaren’s decision to have Piastri relinquish second place to Norris after a slow pit stop left the latter behind his teammate. While Max Verstappen won the race, Norris’s second-place finish allowed him to close the gap to Piastri by three points, reducing the championship lead to 31 points. The decision sparked criticism from fans, who felt the result was manipulated. Even Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed concerns that such team orders could set a precedent for future races, potentially complicating the title fight further.
In the lead-up to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Piastri expressed his belief that the championship would ultimately be decided by the drivers’ abilities on the track, rather than team interventions. He acknowledged that the situation at Monza was far from ideal but explained that there were multiple factors at play, including pit stop sequencing, which contributed to the decision. Despite his initial reservations about the swap, Piastri said he respected McLaren’s choice and trusted the team to make the right decisions going forward.
Norris, too, emphasized that he and Piastri had come to terms with the team’s actions and that the role of team orders had been minimal in their championship fight so far. Both drivers agreed that the team aimed to maintain fairness, and that while some fans might have disagreed with the Monza outcome, there was no perfect solution in such a high-stakes scenario.
As McLaren enters the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a chance to secure their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship, the team remains focused on continuing their dominant season. With seven races left, McLaren holds a commanding lead over Ferrari and only needs to outscore them by nine points to clinch the title. However, the outcome of the drivers’ battle remains uncertain, with both Piastri and Norris determined to prove that the championship will be decided by their own skill, rather than external factors.
