McLaren CEO Zak Brown has explained why Oscar Piastri was instructed to “hold position” when closing in on Lando Norris at the Australian Grand Prix. After getting by Max Verstappen on Lap 17, Piastri reeled Norris in with a series of fastest laps.

We call Oscar Piastri the silent assassin, because his youthful looks and shy smile belie the inner steel and sheer determination of the soon-to-be 24 year-old, as he goes into his third year in Formula One intent on becoming the third Australian world champion after the great Jack Brabham and Alan Jones.

However, when rain arrived at the track on lap 44, both McLaren cars ran wide in the approach to the penultimate corner. Norris gathered it up and retained the lead, but Piastri was forced to take a wider angle into the corner after going deeper into the run-off.