F1 champion pleads with McLaren to prepare for 'horrible' future

McLaren have been urged to prepare for further situations similar to the Italian Grand Prix, after their controversial F1 team orders involving Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

When a slow pit stop for Norris allowed Piastri to undercut his team-mate and claim second, McLaren initiated team orders and the Aussie was asked to move aside for his team-mate.

The swap has since prompted discourse from both pundits and fans alike, with the implications for the title race discussed in depth, as the gap in the standings has narrowed to 31 points.

If Piastri had opted to ignore these team orders, he would now be 37 points ahead in the championship race, with Monza potentially signifying a pivotal moment in the season.

McLaren team orders cause controversy

During a recent appearance on the Sky Sports podcast, F1 champion Nico Rosberg and David Croft discussed whether Piastri would let Norris through again in a similar situation.

Rosberg was asked by David Croft: "Is it fair to say that if there was 10 points between the two drivers and this incident happened in Las Vegas, then it might have been a different outcome and that would be fair because we are that much closer to the end of the season and the gap is that much closer?"

In response, Rosberg placed his hands together in prayer, and pleaded with McLaren to prepare for these horrible situations that could arise in the future.

"Yeah, these are horrible situations," he said. "What I would really ask McLaren is, please sit down, take time to plan ahead for as many possible situations as possible and clearly define them amongst your drivers.

"That’s really what they have to do, even though some situations like this [pit stop incident in Monza] are just really hard to plan for but it’s really their duty to do that."

Speaking after the Italian GP on Sunday, Piastri confirmed further discussion were needed at McLaren, and said to the media: "There were clearly valid reasons for swapping back. Lando qualified ahead and was ahead for the whole race, so I get that. There’s just some things we need to discuss."

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