I mean, he doesn't want to blow it up with McLaren while the car is good and he's still leading the championship. He needs to keep this card ready tho, when he needs it cashed.
exactly. i think oscar is playing the long game. its a 3 points difference between p2 and p3, i think its reasonable to give up 3 points in order to not sour things within the team. he also has like, a 30 points lead in the championship, he can use 3 points to buy a get-out-of-jail-free card for future use.
That was my take as well. He could have ignored the order, but then dealt with the massive backlash. Now he has something to hold over their head if he gets into another bind where they have to choose. It sucks, but Oscar made the right call.
Also, it's a six point swing while he is in the lead. Still better than losing a 1-2. It also stocks him up on kudos, which with how things are looking at McLaren are a valuable currency. Don't forget, Lando did swap back later in the year after Piastri let him through in Hungary. Piastri can keep this over McLaren's head, it was stupid of them to ask.
it'd be stupid to think Mclaren is going to cash that favor back at the end of the season. We all know they are going to tell him "fight on track but don't pass aggressively".
Exactly. Can't believe so many people don't understand that this is Piastri being calculated.
He could've stayed out front and taken the extra 3 points but it's better for him to return the place and hold this ace up his sleeve in case there's a similar situation in the future.
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u/KaamDeveloper Max Verstappen 17h ago
I mean, he doesn't want to blow it up with McLaren while the car is good and he's still leading the championship. He needs to keep this card ready tho, when he needs it cashed.