Max Verstappen finally takes stance on controversial McLaren swap

Max Verstappen has revealed he would not have handed back track position to Lando Norris if he were in Oscar Piastri's shoes at the Italian Grand Prix.

A slow pit stop for Norris saw him re-emerge into the race behind Piastri, despite having run ahead of his title rival for the entirety of the race.

McLaren instructed Piastri to hand back the place to Norris, an order Piastri complied with despite some initial objections.

Verstappen initially gave his impression of the team order on team radio, suggesting he was not in support of the McLaren approach.

But he was keen to stay out of such conversations when asked about it by media including RacingNews365 after the race, stating: “I know you want a nice answer to that, but that's not my problem.”

However, speaking to ServusTV, Verstappen offered a more conclusive answer.

When he was asked by the interviewer to place himself in Piastri's position, Verstappen detailed: “Then, I wouldn't have done it.”

Verstappen crossed the line ahead of the McLaren duo, taking his third victory of the season.

It was a dominant race for the Dutchman who finished 19 seconds ahead of Norris, the largest win margin so far this year.

The four-time champion received significant support on the podium in front of the Italian fans, leaving Verstappen to express his gratitude. 

“It's just nice to see that support,” he said. 

“Of course, most of them are here to support Ferrari, unfortunately they were not on the podium. 

“But to see that crowd was incredible. Honestly, it's probably the best podium in the season in terms of what you see and how big the crowd is.”