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McLaren's F1 Italian GP swap a 'very difficult precedent to undo' - Toto Wolff

Mercedes Formula 1 chief Toto Wolff reckons McLaren's call to ask Oscar Piastri to let Lando Norris past after a slow stop for Norris in the Italian Grand Prix was a "very difficult precedent to undo".

As Norris and Piastri were on course to finish second and third behind dominant winner Max Verstappen, McLaren allowed Piastri to make his only pitstop before Norris to help defend his gap to fourth-placed Charles Leclerc.

A slow stop for Norris then caused the Briton to fall behind his team-mate and title rival, but because Piastri received pitstop priority against the usual order McLaren demanded a puzzled Australian let Norris past again.

McLaren's reasoning was that the decision was the reverse scenario of a similar team orders call at last year's Hungarian Grand Prix, when Piastri fell behind due to a powerful undercut for Norris, but according to Wolff its Monza call has now set a new precedent.

"There is no right and there is no wrong, and I'm curious to see how that pans out," Wolff said. "You set a precedent that is very difficult to undo.

"What if the team does another mistake and it's not a pitstop... do you switch them around? But then equally, because of a team mistake, making a driver that is trying to catch up lose the points is not fair either.

"So, I think we are going to get our response of whether that was right today towards the end of the season when it heats up."

Toto Wolff, Mercedes (Photo by: Joe Portlock / LAT Images via Getty Images)

Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley added: "They would have obviously talked about how they were going to go about racing, and I guess they had a conversation that if there was a team error they'd swapped positions.

"They obviously learned a lot of hard lessons last year. I've been very impressed with how they managed the two drivers fighting in the championship this year, and I think they were ahead of it.

"They weren't having a discussion in the race, so it's clearly something they talked about before."

Photos from Italian GP - Race

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Ferrari Fans

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Ferrari Fans

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Minttu Räikkönen, wife of Kimi Räikkönen, poses in the paddock during the F1 Grand Prix of Italy.

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Gene Haas, Founder and Chairman of Haas F1

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor, Alpine

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Toto Wolff, Mercedes

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Kika Gomez in the Paddock

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

George Russell, Mercedes

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

parachutist arrives flying the Italian flag

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Jean Alesi prepares to drive the Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Jean Alesi drives the Ferrari 412 T2 during the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio d'Italia 2025 in Monza, Italy, on September 6, 2025. (Photo by Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Jean Alesi drives the Ferrari 412 T2 during the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio d'Italia 2025 in Monza, Italy, on September 6, 2025. (Photo by Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team, Laurent Mekies, Alpine

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Carmen Montero Mundt arrives in the Paddock

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Carmen Montero Mundt arrives in the Paddock

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Jean Alesi prepares to drive the Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Carlos Sainz, Williams, Alexander Albon, Williams

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

A flyover takes place as the national anthem is performed.

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Jean Alesi prepares to drive the Ferrari in which he previously raced prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Italy.

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Nikita Kuzmin and Lauren Jaine on the grid.

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Ferrari's team mechanics follow the race in the pit during the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit, in Monza, northern Italy, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/POO

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team, Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Carlos Sainz, Williams, Alexander Albon, Williams

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Fans fill a grandstand with red in support of Ferrari during the F1 Grand Prix of Italy.

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Fans flood the track after the race.

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Supporters and Ferrari fans deploy a giant Ferrari flag on the track.

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Italian GP - Sunday, in photos

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