F1 champion questions Italian GP result after McLaren controversy

Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, McLaren, Netherlands, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 champion questions Italian GP result after McLaren controversy

Damon Hill has questioned whether he needs to give one of his race wins back

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 10 September 2025 09:12

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Following McLaren's team orders controversy at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, a former F1 champion has questioned the validity of one of his race wins.

Max Verstappen claimed victory at Monza last weekend, but the main story was behind him, where McLaren once again managed to create an awkward situation between their two championship-challenging drivers.

With the hope of covering off a late charge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, McLaren opted to pit championship leader Oscar Piastri first, despite Lando Norris being ahead of the Australian.

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When Norris then inevitably experienced a slow pit stop, Piastri was able to undercut Norris, leaving the championship leader in second and his furious team-mate in third.

McLaren then asked Piastri to swap positions with Norris to reinstate the order between them before the pit stops, which Piastri did without too many complaints on team radio.

But, the move has caused much discussion, both about McLaren's strategy and about the mentality of both Norris and Piastri.

Now, 1996 world champion Damon Hill questioned what the decision to swap the drivers back around means for one of his victories, at the 1993 Italian GP, when an engine failure for Alain Prost paved the way for his third career victory.

Taking to X, Hill joked: "In 1993 I won the Italian GP (in part) because Alain Prost's Renault engine blew up. I'm now worried Renault will ask me to give the result back to him!"

McLaren keeping things fair

Hill was not the only F1 champion to mock McLaren's decision to swap their drivers due to a poor pit stop, with current champion Max Verstappen literally laughing over team radio when told by his team.

However, Verstappen's engineer Gianpiero Lambiase counteracted the Dutchman's mocking, explaining that it keeps the championship race fair, saying: "It’s not our business, but I guess it keeps it fair between the drivers in terms of the championship."

Piastri is now 31 points ahead of Norris because of the decision to swap the drivers, but that gap could have been 37, had Piastri have opted to defy team orders and stay ahead.

The final eight races of the season are likely to be a thrilling fight to the end, with Piastri's incredible consistency set to tested by Norris' raw pace and now nothing-to-lose attitude.

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