
Piastri: We must protect those who give us a chance
Oscar Piastri is not entirely happy with the outcome of the race in Monza, but he does not object to the team asking him to let his teammate through after the latter lost time in the pits because of a mechanics' delay…
Question: Oscar, given the high stakes in the title fight, what did you think when you were asked to let Lando through?
Oscar Piastri: We discussed it with the team, and we'll discuss it again. I think in Monza it was a fair request. Lando qualified ahead of me, had been ahead throughout the race, and lost the position through no fault of his own.
On the radio I said everything I needed to say, and when I got the second request I didn't argue with the team. This is about more than him; it's about our people, about our culture. We have to protect our people. That's very important for the future.
Question: Did the time lost behind Leclerc take away any real chance of fighting Lando and Max?
Oscar Piastri: I could have fought with Lando, but not with Max. Even after I passed Charles, it wasn't easy to manage the car. The balance left a lot to be desired, and we lacked pace, especially when I was closing in on the rivals.
Question: Oscar, you told the team on the radio: "We said that a slow pit stop is part of the race, so I don't know what changed." What did you mean?
Oscar Piastri: I think the radio exchange speaks for itself. I'm sure we'll discuss it again.
Question: Suppose in Baku you have a perfect weekend, but at the end of the race there is a delay at the pit stop. Would Lando have to let you through? Did you set a precedent in Monza? There aren't always no cars nearby to simply give a position…
Oscar Piastri: I think that if it's within your control, if no other cars are involved, it's quite straightforward. But if other cars are involved, we won't give points to other teams because of our own mistake. When there are no other cars between the two of us, it's much easier to fix the situation.
So, answering your question, if there had been more cars between us, then no, we wouldn't have swapped places.
Question: The difference between second and third at the finish is small — only three points. But if at the end of the season you lose the title by that margin, would you regret it?
Oscar Piastri: No, I won't regret it. I think it was the fair decision. Lando had been ahead throughout the race, and the delay at the pit stop wasn't his fault. I think that's fine.
Ultimately, whoever wins the championship wants to claim the title on the basis of their own results, what they can control.
Question: It's rare to hear that there's something more important than winning the championship. What is it in McLaren's culture that sets you apart from almost all other rivals?
Oscar Piastri: We've said more than once that we want to be in contention not just this year. There will be rule changes in 2026 — we don't know what the pecking order will be, but we want to be in the best position to win while we're Formula 1 drivers.
We've both been at McLaren for a long time. It's very important to protect the people who give us the opportunity to compete. If we had been fighting for the win throughout the race it would have been a bit different, but Lando was ahead the whole distance, so I'm not worried about it.
It's not just about winning the title this year. We want to fight and win all the time while we're racing. And we must protect our people, including those who do the pit stops. I think the delay made things difficult for them. It's important to protect our staff, because that's what gives us hope of a championship in the future.

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Piastri: We must protect those who give us a chance
Oscar Piastri agrees that the team asked him to let his teammate, who had lost time in the pits, through.