Oscar Piastri has hinted that he will listen to Lewis Hamilton‘s advice given to him at the Singapore Grand Prix, about ignoring McLaren‘s F1 team orders.
Championship leader Piastri was ordered at the Italian Grand Prix in September to give a position back to team-mate and championship rival Lando Norris, who had experienced a botched pit stop.
Piastri did that with minimum fuss, but then asked for similar treatment from his McLaren team at the Singapore GP last weekend, after he expressed that he had been ‘barged’ out of the way by Norris on lap one.
Norris made his way through at turn three of the race, almost leading to Piastri hitting the wall, but neither FIA race stewards nor Piastri’s team felt that Norris had done anything wrong.
When told on team radio that the team would not be swapping the two drivers back around, Piastri fumed, saying: “That’s not fair. I’m sorry, that’s not fair.
“If he has to avoid another car by crashing into his team-mate, then that’s a pretty **** job of avoiding.”
Ahead of the Singapore GP, seven-time world champion Hamilton was asked by F1 media whether he had any advice for Piastri. Referring to the last team orders debate at the Italian GP, Hamilton simply said: “Don’t give up any more positions.”
When that comment was taken to Piastri by UOL Esporte reporter Julianne Cerasoli, the Australian said: “He’s been in that position many times, I accept the advice.”
Will Piastri defy team orders?
With the constructors’ championship now mathematically wrapped up for McLaren, it’s thought that the two drivers will be given more space to battle each other hard for the 2025 drivers’ championship.
There are six events left in the season, including three sprint races, and Piastri is currently 22 points ahead of Norris in the championship standings, a lead that has been cut at the last three grands prix.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen is also 63 points behind Piastri and still has an outside chance of reeling in the two McLaren drivers.
And that could become more and more realistic if Piastri and Norris start having more rigorous on-track battles, with Verstappen always there to pick up the pieces.
