The place swap between McLaren team mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at Monza created something of a storm on social media, and while the former wasn’t happy at the time, it was pretty clear that there was some logic to the move.
The problem was that there was too much focus on the poor pit stop – which as Piastri related on the radio should be seen as part of racing – and less on the fact that the Australian had been given the more favourable first stop in essence to protect him from a potential undercut by Charles Leclerc.
That plus the fact that Norris had given his blessing to the change of pitstop priority on the basis that he didn’t lose his position meant that there were a lot of factors at play.
Indeed after internal discussions to clarify why it was done there has been no dramatic change of policy or suggestion that it won’t happen again, should the same (unlikely) circumstances arise.
On Thursday in Baku Norris was adamant that it was business as usual in the Woking camp.
“All exactly as it was,” he said. “I mean, some things had to be clarified. There was some things at that point that I didn’t know about – the undercut from Leclerc, things I didn’t know in my post-race interviews at the time that also played a part in the reasoning of the decision that the team made.
“And the fact it was not just a pit stop which made that decision, it was more so the other things. So I mean clarification, but nothing from the fact that we both agreed with it after, and accepted as that’s what we agree as a team.”
Norris was keen to downplay the role of the team in intervening to keep things fair in the battle between the two drivers.
“Honestly, I think there’s a lot less than you think. This was one of the first things in quite a long time, and like I just said, it wasn’t the fact I had a slow pit stop which was the reasoning.
“It was more the fact of the changing of positions, the sequencing of things, which was the same as – I know a very different time – but the same as Hungary last year.
“That was actually the more the reasoning of it, combined with the pit stop, which then made the decision. So there’s not been many things apart from that.
“Of course, they try and keep things fair between us, but it’s not been many things where they’ve had to actually get involved and do anything to help one or the other.”
Norris insisted that in essence he and his title rival are still free to race, despite the Monza intervention leading some folk to believe otherwise.
“Of course, how things then look because of something that happened last weekend gives everyone a very different opinion or oversight on things.
“But if you make it as simple as and kind of how we done it is as simple as what happened in Hungary last year, was a very similar thing, that the driver in the lead has priority in a pit stop sequence. That’s exactly what we were entering last weekend, that things don’t change.
“But the fact is, as soon as we just re-established the position, Oscar could race me freely, still had the advantage of starting basically on my gearbox and trying to race me. So he still gained overall.
“But otherwise, we’ve been free every time to race. It’s just like one lap of a pit sequence is when the lead driver always has priority, and that’s how it’s always been, and that’s how it will continue to be. But otherwise we’re free to race.”
With eight races to go and deficit of 31 points Norris faces a massive challenge in the coming weeks unless Piastri has a non-finish or some kind of disaster.
If Norris beats in a one-two finish in the next four races (and the Austin sprint) he can in theory close the gap to just two points over those four weekends – but clearly doing that will be nigh on impossible given the way form has swing back and forth between the two of them.
However he remains confident that there are tracks coming up where he could have the advantage.
“I mean there’s a couple, when I just look at my results from last year,” he said when I asked where he though he might be ahead. “Singapore was one of my best last season, and others. But Oscar has also improved this season, so even if I had the biggest advantage last year, in some ways, I put it behind me, and I have to reset and just look ahead to another season, another weekend.
“There’s certainly some I feel better at than others. At the same time, the car has changed this year, and certainly some of my feelings that I had last year and my confidence level that I had at tracks last year is, is not the same as what I had this year. So that’s taken into account too.
“But there’s not been either one of us dominating at any kind of weekend this season. So I don’t expect any greatness. I just expect close battles, and therefore every little thing is important at the minute, and that’s also what I need, just to keep working hard.”