Marko adds his amusement to the McLaren team order controversy.

      On 10 September 2025 at 10:43, Max Verstappen openly laughed at how McLaren handled the Piastri-Norris swap at Monza, and Dr. Helmut Marko admitted he found it amusing as well. The reigning world champion had already mocked the forced position change over the radio while leading the Italian GP, as Lando Norris moved up to second place from his teammate Oscar Piastri due to a poorly executed pit stop.

      "It’s very fair," Marko smiled when asked about the situation. "They have their own protocols, so I suppose it's a suitable approach for them." German tabloid Bild was more direct, questioning, "Is McLaren too foolish to win a world championship?" Critics have claimed the team is favoring Norris. Although McLaren maintains that their 'papaya rules' are based on fairness, Dutch commentator Olav Mol was skeptical.

      "Then publish them!" the Ziggo Sport commentator urged. "Release the rules. They’re the ones creating this confusion. They believe they’re being transparent, but I suspect that 75 percent of Formula 1 fans are confused by what they’re witnessing."

      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff cautioned that McLaren had set a risky precedent, a point Norris rejected. "It's just silly to assume that and claim that’s the precedent set," he stated to the media. "We’re not foolish; we have contingency plans."

      Support for McLaren's strategy has come from others, including Ferrari legend Jean Alesi. He wrote in Corriere della Sera that Piastri was correct to follow the order. "Many ask me if I would relinquish my position if contending for the title. My answer is yes; I would act the same way. Because I belong to a team that has instilled its culture in every member, and this culture leads to victories."

      However, Wolff reiterated his stance, comparing the situation to Mercedes’ notorious Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry. "Our regulations were that they needed to race fairly and avoid contact," he explained. "Back then, if there was an incident, we aimed to contain it, but in 2016, maybe it would have been wiser to allow them to compete freely instead of over-managing."

      "Lewis and Nico were two very different drivers; they were fierce competitors who raced each other hard. Managing them was quite challenging at times. Currently, we don’t see that dynamic at McLaren, which could be a significant difference."