McLaren Racing has made a point of treating its drivers fairly to give them every opportunity to win the Drivers championship.
However, that may not be the case for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris – two drivers fighting for the top spot — at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, according to McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
“In the sense of team orders, as long as both drivers have a chance to win the world championship — which they clearly do sitting here right now — then it’s business as usual, they’re free to race,” Brown said at Friday’s FIA press conference.
“Obviously we’ll be practical and realistic. If, as the weekend develops, as the race develops, it becomes clear that one has a significantly better chance than another, then we’re a team that wants to win the drivers’ championship, and we will race accordingly to do whatever we can to get whatever that driver is in front to try and win the race.”
McLaren said while Piastri will be given every change to win the title, the Australian will be asked to let Norris through if it means the difference between winning or losing to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the reigning champion who finished runner-up to Norris in both FP1 (+0.008s) and FP2 (+0.363s) on Friday at Yas Marina Circuit.
Currently sitting 12 points above Verstappen and 16 ahead of teammate Piastri, Norris needs a podium finish to earn his first title.
“Our team orders have been around giving equal opportunity to win the championship, but as the race plays out, if it becomes clear that both can’t, then we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the team and try and win the drivers’ championship,” Brown said Friday.
Brown insisted this potential change is not a U-turn on the team’s so-called papaya rules, a term coined by team principal Andrea Stella after the 2024 Italian Grand Prix for the informal code and described by Brown as, “it’s your teammate, race them hard, race them clean, don’t touch. … It’s really just, you know, respect your teammate.”
“I don’t think it’s a U-turn,” Brown said. “We’re going to start the weekend like we have the other 23, which is going in giving both drivers equal opportunity.
“I think last year, once it became clear that Lando had the best chance to catch Max and Oscar was almost statistically out of it in Baku, we then asked Oscar to support Lando and [it] ended up being Lando supported Oscar in that particular race and Oscar won the race.
“So we’re going to use common sense. We’re not going to throw away a drivers’ championship over a sixth and a seventh place, a third and a fourth place, a fifth and a sixth place.”
At Thursday’s press conference, Piastri was elusive when asked what actions he would take to potentially help Norris’ title bid.
“It’s not something we’ve discussed,” Piastri said. “So, yeah, I mean, until I know what’s kind of expected, I don’t really have an answer until I know what’s expected of me.”
For his part, Norris said though it hadn’t been discussed, he would “love it” but wouldn’t ask Piastri to do so.
“It’s the same if it’s the other way around. Would I be willing to or not?” Norris said. “Personally, I think I would just because I feel like I’m always like that and that’s just how I am. But it’s not really up to me. … I don’t want to ask it because I don’t think it’s necessarily a fair question.”
Despite the uncertainty, Brown expressed confidence in his drivers’ decisions this weekend.
“Our drivers have always complied with team wishes just as we comply with their wishes,” he insisted. “So, I’ve got no doubt either of our drivers will continue to race as they’ve done brilliantly in the best interest of the team.”
–Field Level Media
