Why Oscar Piastri's team order request was exactly what McLaren wants

McLaren reveals its thinking on Oscar Piastri's request to swap places with Lando Norris in F1's British GP

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says he has no issues with Oscar Piastri's request to consider team orders after his Formula 1 British Grand Prix penalty.

Piastri saw his bid to win at Silverstone ruined when he was deemed to have braked erratically behind the safety car on lap 21, forcing second-placed Max Verstappen to take avoiding action. He sat out his 10-second penalty at the following pitstop, allowing team-mate Lando Norris a clear path to an emotional home win.

Coming towards the end of the race, Piastri suggested to his team that it should let him overtake Norris to rectify what he felt was an injustice.

"I don't think the penalty before was very fair," the championship leader said via team radio. "I know it's a big question, but if you don't think it was fair either, I think we should swap back and race."

Explaining his curious radio message later on, Piastri said he was fully aware the team would not agree to his request but thought he'd try anyway.

"I knew what the answer was going to be before I asked, but I just wanted a small glimmer of hope that maybe I could get it back. But no, I knew it wasn't going to happen," he conceded.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Stella said he had no qualms with Piastri's cheeky request, as the team would rather have its drivers speak their mind than keep things to themselves.

"We always tell our drivers, don't keep things in the back of your mind while you drive," Stella explained.

"If you have a point, if you have a suggestion, if you want to let us know what you're thinking, just say it. And then we will evaluate [opinions from] other people, we will make a decision, we will come back to you.

"What Oscar did is exactly what we incentivised our drivers to do; he communicated, he expressed his opinion, which we evaluated."

McLaren said Piastri would have been able to retain his lead in the eventuality of a safety car, but as the track transitioned to slicks Stella felt it was fair to just leave the situation as it was.

Piastri came in on lap 43 for medium tyres, sitting out his 10-second penalty, while Norris pitted the following lap before coming home with a six-second lead.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Clive Rose / Getty Images

"The way we managed the situation today was to allow Oscar, in case of a safety car, to retain the lead, because if there had been a safety car, both cars would have pitted," Stella added.

"Oscar would have paid the penalty, Lando would have waited, and the two McLarens would have gone out in the same order as they came in.

"But at the point in which we needed to have the transition on the dry tyres, then the penalty was paid, and at that stage we thought that he should just retain the natural order again.

“So I think this was fair for both, and I'm sure that Oscar will understand and agree with this point of view."