The McLaren driver swap at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix continues to fuel debate within the Formula 1 community, with Nico Rosberg offering his perspective on the controversial team order. The decision saw Oscar Piastri, the championship leader, instructed to concede second place to Lando Norris after a slow pit stop hampered Norris's progress.

Rosberg acknowledged the complexity of the situation, describing it as an "impossible situation" with no perfect solution. He noted that Norris had demonstrably outperformed Piastri throughout the Monza weekend and only lost track position due to the pit stop issue. Rosberg stated he was "happy they did that". He believes Norris deserved to recover the position lost through no fault of his own.

Speaking on a Sky Sports F1 show, Rosberg emphasized his desire for a thrilling championship battle until the very end. He felt that allowing Norris to reclaim his position was the fairest outcome, given his superior performance at Monza. "So I was happy that in that case Lando had the opportunity to get the deserved points since he personally did a better job than Oscar over the Monza weekend," Rosberg said.

However, Rosberg also cautioned against the precedent set by the decision. He pointed out that McLaren's internal rules, or "papaya rules," don't explicitly address scenarios where pit stop delays influence position changes. He stressed the importance of internal consistency and clarity in team orders, drawing parallels to his own title battles with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, where clear "silver rules" were in place.

Rosberg admitted that the decision would be difficult for Piastri, who was obliged to comply with the team's instruction. "It's a hard one because if you're Oscar, it will drive you nuts because it's never been done before," Rosberg said. He acknowledged Piastri's perspective, noting that pit stop speed is generally considered a part of racing. Despite Piastri's likely frustration, Rosberg believes he had no choice but to obey the team order, as defying it would have created significant internal conflict.

Other voices in the F1 paddock have also weighed in on the McLaren situation. Jamie Chadwick, a Sky Sports F1 pundit, pointed out that McLaren has a history of finding themselves in similar "awkward positions," referencing team order drama at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. Chadwick noted that McLaren felt compelled to make the call due to the pit stop error, and Piastri ultimately accepted the decision without complaint.

Even Max Verstappen questioned McLaren's team order after the race. Rosberg revealed that Verstappen felt that pit stop times are a part of racing, and what comes around, goes around.

Rosberg summarized that McLaren faced a choice between two imperfect options and ultimately made the more defensible decision. He believes the swap balanced team fairness with championship respect, although he acknowledged that opinions would likely remain divided. He stated that if he were in Piastri's shoes, he "would have pulled the radio".

The incident has reduced Piastri's lead in the driver standings to 30 points.