LANDO NORRIS’ world championship bid was controversially kept alive by his McLaren team, despite a poor pit-stop threatening to deal the British driver another title blow.

Norris had been on course to finish as runner-up to runaway winner Max Verstappen until he dropped behind title rival Oscar Piastri following a slow change of tyres with seven laps remaining.

However, Piastri was ordered by McLaren to move aside for team-mate Norris, which the Australian did on the 49th lap of 53 at Monza’s Temple of Speed.

Piastri was bitterly disappointed with the decision, saying on the radio: “We said that a slow pit stop was part of racing, so I don’t really get what changed here, but I will do it.”

Verstappen, who crossed the line a commanding 19.2 seconds clear of Norris to claim his first triumph since winning in Imola on 18 May, expressed his surprise at McLaren’s move, laughing when he had been informed of the swap.

“Just because of a slow pit stop?” he chuckled when told that Norris and Piastri had traded positions, with the former reducing his team-mate’s championship advantage from 34 points to 31 heading into the concluding eight rounds.

Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari, one place ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton made up four places from 10th — after he served a five-place grid penalty — to finish sixth.