The McLaren team has no plans to issue any team orders during the Qatar GP. According to CEO Zak Brown, it would be ‘insane’ to favor one of the two McLaren drivers while both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are still in the race for their first world title. Only if one of the drivers is out of the title race after the race at the Lusail International Circuit, McLaren will consider team orders in Abu Dhabi, the American explains.
As the end of the season approaches, so does the climax of the title fight. Championship leader Lando Norris heads into Qatar with a 24-point lead over Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, making him the big title favorite. However, McLaren will not ask their Australian driver to help Norris win the title through team orders, the team revealed this week. CEO Zak Brown further explains the decision.
‘Insane’
“We look at it on a race-by-race basis. We have two drivers who could lead the championship after this weekend. So how could you do anything other than give both drivers equal chances to lead the championship?”, the American tells Sky Sports F1. Whether McLaren will stick to this decision in Abu Dhabi depends on the further course of the race weekend in Doha. “If we arrive in Abu Dhabi with the situation where one of them no longer has a chance for the title, then of course we will ask a driver to help the other. But as long as we have two drivers who can go to Abu Dhabi as championship leaders, it would be insane to do anything other than let them just race in Qatar.”
Although Norris still holds the championship lead, Piastri secured the best starting position for the sprint race on Friday in Qatar. The Australian drove to the sprint pole, while his teammate could not get further than starting position three. The same Piastri confirmed on Thursday that team orders were discussed within the team after Las Vegas. “We had a very short discussion and the answer is no”, the man from Melbourne was already clear then.
