McLaren’s controversial radio call came after a slow pit stop dropped Norris behind his teammate.
Piastri had been brought in first, with Norris assured he would not be undercut, only for a front-left issue to cost the Briton nearly four seconds.
When the stops shook out, Piastri found himself ahead in second — but was soon told to let Norris past.
The Melbourne driver initially resisted, pointing out over the radio that “a slow pit stop was part of racing”, but ultimately complied. Norris went on to finish second behind Max Verstappen.
Ecclestone, now 94, was scathing of the call.
“They talk about fairness all the time. But is it fair for Piastri if he is punished for a mistake made by the team? No,” he told Swiss publication Blick.
“You slowly get the feeling that McLaren prefers a world champion named Lando Norris.
“Mistakes such as missed pit stops or engine damage as well as suspension breaks have become rarer, but they are part of the sport.”
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Others in the paddock were also quick to join Ecclestone’s comments, with Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko laughing when asked what he thought of the decision, before sarcastically adding the decision was “very fair.”
Max Verstappen was more direct when asked if he would have obeyed such an order, telling Austrian television: “I would not have done that.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff struck a more cautious note, warning McLaren had created a dilemma that could come back to haunt them.
“You set a precedent that is very difficult to undo,” he said.
“What if the team does another mistake and it’s not a pit stop, do you switch them around? So you could have a cascade of events that’s very difficult to manage.
“I think the most important is to have a clear strategy. Either let them race, or try to balance it in the most possible fair way.”
Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle defended McLaren’s handling of the situation, arguing the reversal was necessary given the circumstances.
“I believe that was the right thing to do all round,” he wrote in his post-race column.
“The cohesion of this team is what’s making it so dominant this season and both drivers are smart enough to realise that for both now and into the future.
“Don’t judge either of them for playing the team game.”
Meanwhile, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella stood firmly by the decision, insisting it was made on principle rather than favouritism.
“The pit stop situation is not only a matter of fairness, it’s a matter of consistency with our principles,” he said.
“We thought it was absolutely the right thing to go back to the situation pre-existing at the pit stop, and then let the guys race.”
With eight races remaining in the 2025 season, Piastri holds a 31-point advantage over Norris in the Drivers’ Championship, with Verstappen a further 43 points back. McLaren remain well clear at the top of the Constructors’ standings.
This article first appeared on Speedcafe.com, a sister site to MotorRacing.com.
