Well for all who've been following closely this season this should come as absolutely no surprise. Although this was clearly the most blatant move to show who McLaren want to win them the title this season.

Would they return the favour if it was the other way round?

Team chat -

Lap 45

Norris - Did you want to box the other car first?
Joseph - Yep, we’ll do that. We’ll swap it ’round, so stay out.
Norris - Well, only if he doesn’t undercut, otherwise I’ll box first.
Joseph - There will be no undercut. Confirming we are staying out
Norris - Yeah, confirm.

Piastri pits

Lap 46

Joseph - And confirming we are box this lap

Norris - Confirmed

Stallard - Launch map off, launch map off. Strat six, Strat six, standard out-lap. Leclerc crossing start-finish now. Oscar, control the out-lap. We are boxing the cars this way around to ensure you cover Leclerc. You are free with Lando once he’s ahead of the pit exit.

Stallard - Lando is pitting this lap

Norris pits

Lap 47

Joseph - Launch map, launch map. This could now be close at exit.

Stallard - May be close at exit, Lando slow stop.

(Norris reaches pit exit)

Joseph - Press the overtake button.

Stallard - Oscar, six laps to go. Priority is not to drain this tyre.

Lap 48

Stallard - Oscar this is a bit like Hungary last year. We pitted in this order for team reasons. Please let Lando pass and you’re free to race.

Piastri - I mean, we said that a slow pit stop was part of racing. I don’t really get what’s changed here. But if you really want to do it then I’ll do it.

Joseph - Lando, we’re going to re-establish the order. So he will let you past, then you’ll be free to race. He might let you through into turn one this time around.

Stallard - Let’s have strat seven. Suggest to let him through into turn one. Let through into turn one. This is the same as Hungary last year. I know it’s painful, but you will have five laps remaining from now.

(Piastri lets Norris through)

Lap 49

Joseph - Okay, you’re free to race.

Stallard - Thanks Oscar, you’re free to race, clinical, clear head mate.

Joseph - Okay Lando, push-and-hold will be available, we’re going to have to use it, they’ve got DRS. Lando, suggest strat 13, strat 13

I don't really have an issue with McLaren's approach as it seems clear they are trying to keep it as fair as possible between the drivers and it does line up that Norris offered to let Piastri pit first to protect him from Leclerc (which was a very cautious move anyway as he was only a threat in the event of a slow stop).

Lando will have his own reasons for suggesting it of course, Oscar was catching him at the time and it did protect him from being compromised should any SC or VSC come up at the wrong time, but that is of course, within reason. By getting the agreement for no undercut he is looking out for himself.

Oscar did appear to think it may have been discussed before but I'm not willing to go suggesting McLaren changed any agreements around pit stops. There's enough ambiguity around what constitutes a slow stop here. They may have discussed them before the race but not in enough detail and we aren't party to that conversation and cannot know enough to say whose interpretation is most accurate.

In the end it is the same pit crew and equipment for both cars, it comprises engineers and mechanics from both sides of the garage and if the issue for Norris on the left front happened due to it being worked by a mechanic from Piastri's team the people who love to see conspiracies in everything would be claiming sabotage.

The error and cause of the switched places was a McLaren team error and not a driver one (unlike Silverstone), Norris had voluntarily risked his track position to protect Piastri and had agreed with the team to maintain the effectively order.

Should Piastri have been so willing to give the place up? For him it's a long game. He concedes a mere 3 points to Norris, which is too few per race for Lando to overhaul him and he gets to use that position swap as potential leverage in a situation where more points might be at stake.

Do I think he should have given it up quite so easily? Perhaps, not.

To do so shows that not only is he being very fair minded but he has the confidence he can beat Lando anyway and didn't need to cause problems by refusing to switch. He also conclusively out performed Norris at the second half of last season so probably feel sure he'll do it again. However. he's only a DNF away from losing most of that points advantage so needs to be very careful in his approach and I suspect once the Constructors is sown up in a few races both drivers will be freed up to fight it out.

Only, time will tell if he should have argued his case more.

It's not conceding 3 points though it's conceding 6 effectively. And for sure there'll be plenty of races left where McLaren dominate and finish 1-2 so if he's to just cruise home behind Lando he'll be losing 7 points each race. Now was the time to be firm imo.

I do see why people says it's 6 points conceded but the reality is that Oscar never had those points. Lando caught him by 3 which is the only number that mattered in the moment. Oscar knows in his mind he's not finishing 2nd to Lando more than the reverse, so with that confidence it wasn't a huge loss. I suspect he voiced his opinions pretty firmly last night and just maybe the crowd booing Lando and cheering Oscar might help him emphasise his point too.

I do feel this is the first sign of the endgame beginning to affect the team harmony though.

I wouldn't have made that team call myself though. I get it, but fate always plays its part.

The start times for next years Grand Prix's have been announced today. The only major change I can see is that the Canadian Grand Prix will now start at 9pm UK time to avoid a direct clash with the Indy 500.

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1081906/1/f1-2026-start-times-revealed-when-every-race-will-start

China, Miami, Canada, Britain, Netherlands and Singapore are also the Sprint races for next year.

Oh great that Silverstone is finally getting a Sprint again after only having held 1 so far! And I see they've finally relieved Interlagos of Sprint duties after 5 consecutive seasons (mind you that's one of the few tracks I'd be happy to allow host a Sprint every year).

Singapore though is a major eyebrow-raiser.