P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren commend Norris radio call as Qatar team orders clarified
What happened to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris during the race? They both had lap times deleted for exceeding track limits after qualifying, but Piastri capitalized on a collision between the Mercedes drivers to move up to second place, while Norris steadily climbed from 10th to third. Norris was instructed to hold his position and not challenge his teammate in order to protect McLaren’s position against George Russell who was on a different tire strategy. McLaren wanted to avoid the risk of a puncture due to concerns over the tires and the track limits had already been reduced. Norris initially questioned the team’s decision but ultimately followed the order. Piastri, who had let Norris pass in the previous race, was surprised by the team’s decision. Norris was unsure if he could have overtaken Piastri due to the dirty air effect if they were allowed to race each other.
Source: Motorsport Week
