Lando Norris believes there is no need for McLaren to designate him as the team’s primary driver to enhance his chances of surpassing Max Verstappen in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
The British driver currently holds the second position in the standings, trailing his Red Bull competitor by 76 points, while McLaren is widely recognized for having the most consistently fast car in F1 at the moment.
However, the recent team orders controversy during the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Norris delayed relinquishing the lead to his teammate Oscar Piastri, has led some to argue that McLaren should focus its support solely on Norris.
This perspective stems from the fact that Verstappen holds a significant points advantage, meaning Norris requires every point available and should avoid the risk of Piastri finishing ahead of him potentially jeopardizing his title shot.
Nevertheless, Norris disagrees with this notion, advocating for the approach McLaren has chosen: to allow both drivers to compete fairly and race on equal footing.
“I still need to earn it, I still need to go out there and drive quicker than everyone,” he explained. “I don’t think that changes anything.
“I don’t understand why it has suddenly become a point where there would be a bias towards one driver. We’ve never had that in the team.”
Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, and Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, talk in Parc Ferme
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar
Despite the increasing discussions around a potential championship opportunity for Norris making the team orders topic more pertinent, he maintains that it is premature to consider altering the team’s strategy.
“Why is it all of a sudden now that I have a chance?” he questioned. “I’ve had an opportunity throughout the entire season, and we’re only halfway through. There’s still a long way to go. Perhaps down the line [the approach can change], but that moment will come when it’s needed.”
Norris further stated that it would be inappropriate to connect the events in Hungary to the world championship context, as those events were solely focused on preserving race positions.
“I shouldn’t have been leading the race, and there should never have been the impression that the team isn’t unbiased towards Lando,” he remarked.
“If Oscar was leading the entire race, there is absolutely no justification for asking him to let me pass, especially from a championship perspective.”
Piastri echoed Norris’s sentiment that it is too early to be contemplating any form of team orders, although he acknowledged that down the line, McLaren might find itself in a position where it would make sense to support one driver more than the other.
“It’s still very early in the season and I’m quite far behind in the driver’s standings, but I’m also not out of it,” he noted.
“It doesn’t take many races to be in a position like Lando’s. Let’s wait and see how things develop.
“If the team needs me to support Lando, then I will certainly do that. However, the primary aim should be to gather the most points of all teams and secure the constructors’ title.
“That’s definitely our biggest opportunity, and we’ll see how it unfolds.”
