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McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has stated that both he and teammate Lando Norris hold the reins to their personal destiny in the world championship battle, following a contentious team order during the Monza race.

Controversial Strategic Calls at Monza

With the duo are locked in a head-to-head championship battle, the issue of team strategy having an impact loomed large following the event. Red Bull’s Verstappen took victory, but the team’s decision to instruct Piastri to return P2 to his teammate sparked debate.

Norris secured additional championship points on his teammate, closing the gap to 31 points. Numerous fans voiced displeasure at the perceived manipulation of the outcome, while team principal Toto Wolff warned that such actions could set a precedent hard to handle in the championship finale.

Racers Confident They Control Their Fate

Speaking ahead of the Baku race, the Australian stated firmly that the drivers—not the squad—would decide the championship outcome. “I believe we have enough freedom to control our personal fate in the championship,” Piastri said. “We have had productive talks with the squad. Things are clearer now, we know how we plan to compete going forwards.”

When asked to move over at Monza, Piastri had questioned the call, noting over the radio: “It was agreed that a delayed stop was normal in F1, so I don’t understand what changed here”. In Baku, he stood by his comments but added that the pit issue was not the only reason behind the position change.

“That is a decision that a delayed stop is part of racing,” Piastri explained. “At the time, the context wasn’t there regarding stop strategy. There was the sequence of stops, which influenced the swap.”

Norris Supports Squad’s Call

Norris also stated he was confident that the squad would not intervene heavily in the title battle. “Both of us agreed post-race and understood that’s what we agree as a team,” Norris noted. “McLaren tries to be impartial between us, but there’s not been many situations where they’ve needed to step in.”

Supporters’ Response and Outlook

Many supporters expressed anger, with Lando hearing some boos on the podium. However the Australian defended the decision, stating: “Had we made the opposite call, then the opposing side of supporters claiming that was wrong. Therefore ultimately, there’s no perfect decision.”

The team heads into the Baku event with a opportunity to secure their back-to-back team title—their 10th in total—setting a record for the earliest title win in the sport’s history, with seven races still to go.