Oscar Piastri’s request to McLaren during the Silverstone Grand Prix was a “very smart” move, according to Jenson Button’s explanation. The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion praised the Australian driver’s quick thinking and tactical approach.
Jenson Button expressed admiration for Oscar Piastri’s sharp reflexes when the young Australian asked McLaren to swap positions with teammate Lando Norris at Silverstone, in case the team also considered the penalty given to Piastri to be unfair.
During the 2025 British Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri was leading the race when he received a 10-second time penalty for irregular driving behind the Safety Car. On lap 21, in wet conditions, Piastri braked abruptly just as the Safety Car was pulling off the track, allowing Max Verstappen to overtake him on the right side.
The race stewards identified Piastri as responsible for the incident because by braking sharply—applying 59.2 psi of pressure to slow from 218 km/h to 52 km/h—he forced Max Verstappen to make an evasive maneuver to avoid a collision. This penalty dropped the Australian driver and championship leader from first to second place behind Lando Norris after serving the time penalty.
Believing the penalty was unjust, Piastri radioed McLaren to request that they reverse the positions with Lando Norris, so he could continue competing fairly. However, the team declined the request, as Piastri later confirmed to the media after the race, admitting he did not expect a different outcome.
“I thought I’d ask,” Piastri said. “I already knew what the answer would be before asking, but I just wanted a small hope that maybe something could be done. But no, I knew it wouldn’t happen. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not swapping positions. Lando didn’t do anything wrong. So I don’t think it would have been right to do it.”
According to Jenson Button, the Australian driver acted correctly and intelligently. “It was very smart,” the 2009 World Champion told Sky F1. “Zak Brown would have defended his driver by saying the penalty wasn’t deserved. So [Piastri] intervened over the radio, knowing Zak would hear him, to say ‘if it wasn’t deserved, why don’t we swap positions?’ It’s incredible that he can think of these things while driving at 320 km/h through Becketts.”
From a championship perspective, Piastri’s request showed no sign of weakness; on the contrary, it highlighted the intelligence and determination of the current World Championship leader, ready to influence internal McLaren dynamics to his advantage. This move opens the door to a series of psychological games where he could gain the upper hand over his teammate Lando Norris.
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