McLaren revealed that Oscar Piastri’s overtake of Lando Norris on the very first lap of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was not a mistake but a pre‑planned tactic. Because Piastri started on hard tyres — while Norris and Max Verstappen used medium tyres — McLaren thought giving Piastri second place would let him pressure Verstappen more effectively. Team principal Andrea Stella said the plan was agreed with Norris’s consent. He added that the move wasn’t about favouring one driver unfairly, but about maximizing McLaren’s chances against Verstappen in the championship fight.