Former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. sees a significant advantage for Oscar Piastri following the controversial team order from McLaren in Monza. The Australian was asked by the team to step aside for Lando Norris in the final stages of the race, which Piastri did. According to Piquet Jr., the championship leader now holds a ‘trump card’ as a result.
Oscar Piastri was briefly dreaming of a second-place finish at Monza – and the associated World Championship points that would have extended his lead over rival Lando Norris – until McLaren instructed the Australian to let Norris pass. The Brit had ended up behind Piastri following a slow pit stop by the British team. The championship leader said after the race that he understood the team order from McLaren.
Tump Card
While former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone finds the team’s decision unfair to Piastri, Nelson Piquet Jr. sees how the Australian can still benefit from the situation. “Piastri gains credit with the team this way,” the brother-in-law of Max Verstappen explains in the Pelas Pistas podcast. “If things get tighter towards the end of the season, he has a trump card in his hand. I think he’s also a team player, so he can say, ‘Man, I helped a lot then.’ However, it was not necessary to give back the position because of a team mistake.”
“He will regret this a lot if he loses the championship by less than three points,” continues Piquet Jr., who, however, does not see that happening quickly. “I don’t think that will be the case; I think he will win. But I think that decision would not have been made if there were still three races to go. If there were still three races to go, I doubt he would have done that.”
