Norris reveals McLaren 'idiot' call that forced Piastri swap

Lando Norris has revealed he gave the race-leading position back to team-mate Oscar Piastri after a scenario was presented to him by McLaren that would have made him “look like an idiot”.

Norris pitted before Piastri for their final stops in the race despite running behind the Australian in second place.

Norris took the lead after Piastri made his final pit stop, with McLaren instructing Norris to hand back the position.

Although he fought his case, Norris eventually handed the place back to his team-mate with just a handful of laps to go.

Norris highlighted he was planning to give the position back on the final lap before the prospect of a late Safety Car, under which overtaking is prohibited, was proposed to him.

“I know what I'm going to do and what I'm not going to do. Of course, I'm going to just question it and challenge it, and that's what I did. 

“I was going to wait until the last lap, the last corner. But then they said if there was a Safety Car all of a sudden, and I couldn't let Oscar go through, then it would have made me look like a bit of an idiot.

“Then I was like, ‘yeah, it’s fair point’. And I let him go, two to go or something. Straight away, I let him go.”

Norris denied swap 'lost' him the race

Norris asserted he was always planning to give the position back to Piastri, but was holding out in case the team changed its mind

“I mean, that's just your opinion of what you hear,” he said. 

“But that's the same with all sports. You can make what you will of what you hear and what you think you know and that kind of stuff. 

“But I know that I always was going to give it back unless they changed their mind on what they were saying. And they didn't. So all good.”

Norris also denied the swap cost him the win, feeling the deciding moment was the start of the race when Piastri overtook him into Turn 1.

“I lost the race win off the line,” he said. “I know everyone is going to want to say that as a story that I gave up the race when I didn't. 

“I boxed first and naturally you’re always going to undercut. So the team gave me this position and I gave it back. Nothing more than that.”