McLaren pair discuss Monza situation prior to Baku.

      Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri addressed the media in Baku following the controversies surrounding team orders at Monza. Norris, who faced boos on the podium, responded to the negativity by stating, "In today's world, it seems people only want to be critical and speak poorly of others." He emphasized that the outside noise does not impact McLaren, affirming, "We remain focused on our approach, regardless of public opinion."

      Some fans suggested the team favored Norris after his slow pitstop led to the McLaren pitwall directing Piastri to relinquish P2. Norris dismissed the idea that the decision was solely based on the pitstop, saying, "There were other factors involved." He clarified, "We both reached an agreement afterward and accepted it, which is what we decided as a team."

      Norris also directed his criticism at the media, noting, "You need headlines and readership. So, it doesn't surprise me at all." Piastri, who currently leads Norris by 31 points, acknowledged the significant noise surrounding the situation, mentioning, "There was definitely a lot of fuss, emotion, and controversy, with angry fans and varied opinions."

      He continued, "I understand that perspective, but I believe this was a situation where there wasn't a right way to handle it. If roles were reversed, it wouldn't have been right either." When asked if a similar situation could occur again, the Australian stated, "In the exact same scenario, yes, I would expect that. However, it's nearly impossible to have the exact same scenario again, so every situation will present its own unique challenges."

      Piastri confirmed that there had been "a lot of discussions" with the team since Monza, adding, "We've clarified many issues, and we understand how we will approach racing going forward, which is crucial." He also addressed his manager Mark Webber's reaction, humorously stating, "Not much, really," when asked about Webber's comments regarding the uproar. "Mark is very much aligned with us. I've talked with both the team and Mark about the events, and we're all on the same page for the future."

      Conversely, Norris expressed that he might actually appreciate some assistance from Max Verstappen in the championship race. "If there’s no competition and we consistently finish first and second, it will complicate my job even more," he explained to RTBF. "Does that mean I would prefer to see Max between me and Oscar? Sometimes that could be beneficial," he said with a smile.