Max Verstappen has launched a pointed attack on Oscar Piastri, accusing the Australian of surrendering his autonomy by following McLaren's team orders during the 2025 season.
The four-time world champion's criticism centres on the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where Piastri was directed to relinquish second position to teammate Lando Norris.
Verstappen argues that complying with such instructions without proper justification hands excessive power to the team.
The Dutchman's remarks carry particular weight given the razor-thin margin that ultimately decided last year's championship, with Norris claiming the title by a mere two points ahead of Verstappen.
Max Verstappen had a pop at Oscar Piastri, saying he 'sold his soul'
|PA
The incident at Monza occurred after a bungled pit stop dropped Norris behind Piastri, despite the British driver having led his teammate throughout the race until that point.
McLaren subsequently instructed Piastri to surrender the position, which he duly did.
When asked by German publication Blick whether he would have accepted similar orders, Verstappen was unequivocal.
"Definitely not," he stated.
"If you do that once without a clear reason, you sell your soul. The team can then do whatever it wants with you."
Max Verstappen still had a stunning campaign last year and only narrowly missed out on a title that McLaren were always the hot favourites to take
| REUTERSThe Dutchman emphasised the timing made the decision particularly questionable: "And let's not forget: Piastri was in the middle of the title fight."
The position swap at Monza created a six-point swing in the championship standings, with Piastri departing the Italian circuit 31 points clear when the gap could have stretched to 37 had he prioritised his own interests.
Those additional points proved crucial as the season concluded, with Norris securing the drivers' title by the slimmest of margins over Verstappen.
Piastri had actually led the championship from April through to October, but a series of setbacks derailed his campaign.
Beyond Monza, a first-corner collision with Norris in Singapore and a strategic error in Qatar further hampered the Australian's title aspirations, leaving him third in the final standings behind both his teammate and Verstappen.
Oscar Piastri's season tailed off, allowing Lando Norris to take the lead
|REUTERS
McLaren's approach throughout 2025 was governed by their 'papaya rules' philosophy, which sought to ensure neither driver received preferential treatment regardless of their championship position.
The Woking outfit secured both titles last season, though questions persist about whether their equal treatment policy nearly cost them the drivers' crown given Norris's wafer-thin winning margin.
Chief executive Zak Brown has confirmed the team will maintain this controversial strategy moving forward.
However, uncertainty looms over whether McLaren can replicate their dominance in 2026, with sweeping regulation changes potentially reshuffling the competitive order and threatening the position of teams currently at the front.