McLaren find themselves amid an intense championship battle with Red Bull going into the last eight races of the 2024 season. Both the constructors’ and the drivers’ titles are on the line with Lando Norris being a firm contender to dethrone three-time world champion, Max Verstappen.
Norris currently has a 62-point deficit to the Dutchman, and was not able to make ideal inroads into Verstappen’s lead at the Italian GP. This came after a lap 1 move by his teammate, Oscar Piastri who took the lead away from Norris. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc quickly overtook the Briton and eventually ended up winning the race at Monza.
The McLaren duo had to settle for P2 and P3. However, according to former McLaren mechanic, Marc Priestley, the Woking-based team could have still prioritized Norris’ title push by inverting positions in the final laps of the race and giving the #4 driver three extra points against Verstappen.
Priestley explained on his YouTube channel, “Towards the end of the race, they could have swapped their drivers around. They could have finished second and third but it could have been Lando second and Oscar third.”
“There would have been nothing wrong in that. Had they chose to prioritize Lando they would have gained another three points over Max Verstappen.”, he added.
| NEW: McLaren are seriously considering the use of team orders.
See Andrea Stella’s admission:https://t.co/kc6z6SZUaO
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Time is of the essence for McLaren as they look to secure both championships this season. The next two races in Baku and Singapore have tracks where the RB20 could suffer given its form in 2024. So, the Woking outfit have a golden chance to make a significant dent in Verstappen’s drivers’ championship lead, while taking the lead in the constructors’ standings.
However, Red Bull advisor, Helmut Marko has teased upgrades for the United States GP which takes place after these two races. This could change the complexion of the title fight if Red Bull can gain a competitive edge again.
That is why, it is imperative for McLaren to immediately look into the inter-team dynamics between Norris and Piastri for maximizing their points. Team principal, Andrea Stella has revealed after the Italian GP that they will internally assess the situation. Thus, team orders at the Woking outfit from the Azerbaijan GP onwards are a possibility.
