Sep.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen openly chuckled at McLaren’s handling of the Piastri-Norris swap at Monza – and Dr Helmut Marko admits he laughed too.
The reigning world champion had already scoffed at the enforced position change over the radio as he led the Italian GP – with Lando Norris gaining second place from his teammate Oscar Piastri thanks to a botched pitstop.
“It’s very fair,” Red Bull advisor Marko smiled when asked about the controversy. “They have their own rules, so I guess it’s a good way for them to do it.”
German tabloid Bild was blunter: “Is McLaren too stupid to become world champion?”
Critics argue the team is showing favouritism towards Norris. McLaren insists its ‘papaya rules’ are about fairness, but Dutch commentator Olav Mol was unconvinced.
“Then publish them!” the Ziggo Sport voice demanded. “Bring out the rules.
“They’re the ones creating this chaos. They think they’re being open and honest, but I think 75 percent of Formula 1 fans are wondering what they’ve been watching.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff warned McLaren had set a dangerous precedent. Norris dismissed that suggestion.
“It’s pretty stupid just to assume that kind of thing and say that’s the precedent you set,” the Briton told media. “We’re not idiots and we have plans for different things.”
Others have backed McLaren’s approach, including Ferrari legend Jean Alesi. Writing in Corriere della Sera, he argued Piastri was right to obey the order.
“Many people ask me if I would return the position if I were fighting for the title. The answer is yes, I would do the same. Because I am part of a team that has managed to instil its culture in every member of the team. And this culture brings victories.”
But Wolff doubled down, drawing a comparison with Mercedes’ infamous Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry.
“Our rules were that they had to race fair and not touch each other,” he said. “Back then, if there was contact, we tried to control it, but in 2016 it might have been better to let them fight freely rather than trying to over-manage.
“We had two very different people in the car, Lewis and Nico. They were two fierce warriors who raced each other ruthlessly. They were very difficult for the team to manage at times.
“You don’t see that at McLaren now, so that may be a big difference.”
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