The title battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is slowly but surely reaching a boiling point. With four Grands Prix left on the calendar – including two sprint weekends – the difference between the two McLaren drivers is just one World Championship point. Meanwhile, reigning champion Max Verstappen is turning the title fight into a three-way battle. Former McLaren driver and two-time champion Mika Häkkinen recognizes the ‘nightmare’ the papayas are now in.
Häkkinen was recently a guest on the High Performance podcast. There, he spoke about his own years in Formula 1, but also took a look at the current world championship. Now that the title fight is turning into a battle between the two McLaren drivers – and Max Verstappen – the Finn explained the difficult split the team finds itself in. “As we head towards the end of the season, Zak Brown and Andrea Stella need to maintain harmony,” he said. “They need to work closely with the drivers.”
‘Aiming for a Beautiful Season Closure’
According to Häkkinen, tension within McLaren is simply inevitable. “This is racing – and there can only be one champion,” he emphasized. “It’s a nightmare. For such a team, it’s an incredibly difficult situation.” However, Häkkinen does not mean this as criticism, but as a test of character and leadership. “You know, I don’t mean it negatively,” he continued. “This is just how it goes. It’s a kind of human test for everyone – to see how they can maintain that harmony.”
To ensure the competition is fair and controlled – entirely according to the infamous papaya rules – the former driver believes it will come down to crystal clear agreements within the team. “Okay, there must be a clear agreement about what the drivers and management do,” he explained. “No one just overtakes each other – everything is thoroughly discussed.” In this regard, Häkkinen praises the culture within McLaren. “It’s a wonderful team. You want this season to end perfectly. That’s why I think it’s good that Lando Norris already has some experience, and Oscar Piastri is also doing fantastic. I believe they will find a way to close the season beautifully.”
