Following the Surprise Leap at British GP, McLaren’s Second Class Treatment of Oscar Piastri Lauded Albeit With a Stern Warning

Except for Red Bull, the surprise of the weekend, McLaren was a class apart from the rest of the grid. The McLaren men used upgrades to their advantage and gave statement performances throughout the weekend. Moreover, there were statement calls within the McLaren garage as well. The Woking outfit made the bold call to levy team orders on Oscar Piastri in favor of Lando Norris in the opening few laps of the race. The compliant rookie accepted those orders and maintained a healthy distance from his teammate for most of the race. This, albeit hard, race management from McLaren, is lauded by expert Peter Windsor. However, the British expert believes this treatment of Piastri cannot and should not continue.

Receiving team orders is an unfavorable scenario for any driver, even if it’s a rookie. However, Piastri was more than happy to comply and according to Windsor, in his British GP review YouTube video, it was the right call from McLaren. However, Windsor does not believe Piastri will be this understanding for the rest of the season.

“I think McLaren were completely and utterly correct in telling Oscar not to race with Lando and to give Lando a little bit of space and allow him, if possible, to take the race to Max. That was pretty early on in the race and that was totally correct. It’s the first time McLaren had been in this position for a long time and the last thing you need is any sort of intra-team rivalry. Oscar is young enough and rookie enough to take team orders it worked out perfectly.“ said Windsor.

However, Windsor does believe he won’t see compliance from Piastri all year long. He said. “Having said that, I don’t imagine Oscar Piastri is going to accept that for the rest of the year if McLaren can continue to be this competitive.”

Read More: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s Post-Race Ricciardo “Homage” Leaves Papaya Army Teary-Eyed

The Australian was already snubbed in favor of Norris in Austria. However, Piastri pledged to prove his mettle at Silverstone and he did but the team orders added to his misery. Although, Piastri is keeping his head down and working hard.

Despite the snub from McLaren, Oscar Piastri is keeping his head down and concentrating on himself

The Australian is in his rookie season but already showcasing an incredibly mature mentality. Despite being snubbed in favor of Norris in Austria, Piastri kept his head down and focused on his race instead of focusing on external factors. The result? A brilliant race from the Australian which gave him a morale boost if not points.

Piastri confessed, “I’m concentrating on myself and driving, trying to get the best out of myself. The pace was strong the whole time, with both packages. It was a fun afternoon that ended up being about nothing, but sometimes that’s just part of the story.”

We are finally seeing Piastri justify the hype he has been carrying. No wonder Alpine wanted to retain his services and McLaren was ready to fight a legal battle.

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