After refusing to introduce team orders between its drivers at Monza two weeks ago, McLaren has finally convinced Oscar Piastri to help Lando Norris in the fight against Max Verstappen for the rest of the 2024 season. After the race at Monza, Norris admitted that he had mixed feelings about team orders as he is keen to win on merit. It is for the same reason he sympathizes with Piastri after McLaren has decided to implement team orders in the rest of the races this season.
“A lot of people think [team orders] are simple and they are not. Oscar is a driver fighting for his own championship and own career. It depends on what positions we are fighting for and many different scenarios, but we have a good plan,” Norris explained in the driver’s conference ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as quoted by F1 Unlocked.
Norris’ remarks come after what transpired at Monza, a race in which he failed to reduce Max Verstappen’s lead by a bigger number than eight points. McLaren not only fumbled with their strategy, which cost them the race win, but they didn’t even switch their drivers on the last lap for Norris to get those extra three points.
: Lando Norris clarifies he wants to beat Max Verstappen and win the F1 title on merit, not with help from teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren has confirmed Piastri will aid Norris, but Norris emphasized fair racing, stating he wouldn’t want a championship handed to him.#F1… pic.twitter.com/2Dpe2tzBwO
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) September 12, 2024
This has eventually led to the team’s decision to prioritize Norris in the races ahead. However, for Piastri, it would not be easy to compromise his own season even if it means helping the team win a championship. Regardless, he has agreed to help his teammate.
Piastri would have helped Norris if McLaren had only asked him
Speaking about the conversation he has had with the team, Piastri stated that he would have agreed to help Norris at the Italian Grand Prix as well, only had McLaren asked him to do so. However, he made it clear that he would do so only reluctantly, knowing that there is a bigger cause to fight for and that is to help Norris win a championship.
️ “It’s not purely just going to be me pulling over for Lando every single race, because that’s how none of us, including Lando, want to go racing.”
Oscar Piastri’s thoughts on McLaren’s decision to prioritise Lando Norris: pic.twitter.com/FfbbI4PHQ9
— The Race (@wearetherace) September 12, 2024
“The team has asked me to help out, and I’ve said for the last few races if I was asked I would. As a driver, it’s not an easy thing to agree to but there is a bigger picture at play that’s not just myself,” Piastri stated.
