Max Verstappen on team orders: “You sell your soul if you follow them blindly”. F1 | Verstappen criticizes McLaren-style team orders and warns fellow drivers.

Max Verstappen has once again spoken critically about an incident involving the two McLaren drivers during the 2025 F1 Grand Prix in Monza. The four-time world champion found himself alone battling against a sensational McLaren team over the recently concluded season. Verstappen can be satisfied after an unexpected title fight that saw him narrowly lose to Lando Norris by just two points in the final race of the F1 season. Yet the Red Bull driver returned to comment on a controversial episode involving Norris and his teammate, Oscar Piastri.

Specifically, Verstappen criticized the alleged compliance shown by Oscar Piastri with McLaren team orders during the season, when the Australian was in the midst of the world championship fight. After the summer break, Oscar Piastri was leading the drivers’ championship by 34 points, but a series of controversial incidents and questionable strategic decisions slowed his title campaign.

The controversial Monza case

One of the most emblematic moments occurred at Monza, where Oscar Piastri was asked to give up second position to Lando Norris after inheriting it due to a pit stop error by the team. This incident was compounded by other critical moments, such as the clash with Norris at Turn 1 in Singapore and the well-known strategic error in Qatar. These events ultimately contributed to Piastri losing the world title, finishing the season behind both Norris and Verstappen.

Despite these incidents, McLaren won both world titles in 2025, remaining true to a philosophy that prioritizes the team over individual driver demands. A philosophy that, according to many, almost cost them dearly in the drivers’ championship, which Lando Norris won by just two points.

“Do it once, and the team controls you”

Interviewed by the German newspaper Blick, Max Verstappen was asked whether he would accept similar team orders like those imposed on Piastri at Monza. The Dutch driver’s response was clear and unambiguous: “Absolutely not. If you do it once without a clear reason, you sell your soul. The team can then do whatever it wants with you. And let’s not forget: Piastri was in the middle of the title fight,” said the Red Bull driver candidly.

Strong words that reflect Max Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s philosophy, which stands in stark contrast to the approach shown by McLaren in recent years. Verstappen’s warning serves as a reminder to drivers that compliance with team orders can come at a personal cost, especially when championship positions are at stake.