Team orders have been a burning topic of discussion at McLaren since the 2024 Italian GP. At the São Paulo GP Sprint Race, fans finally saw them come into play. Oscar Piastri gave up his lead to his teammate Lando Norris, who gained an extra point by winning the sprint race. That said, the #4 driver was not happy with the way he got the win.
Piastri led the 24-lap race from the very start and kept his lead going into the final two laps. However, he was asked to swap positions with his teammate to help Norris’ title bid, and the Australian obliged. Norris thinks, however, that the #81 driver was the real winner even if the record books forever credit him with just P2.
“Oscar drove well and he deserved the win today. I’m not proud of winning a Sprint race or any race like this, so I thank Oscar and the team,” said the McLaren driver as quoted by Sky Sports F1.
A Brazilian Journalist Congratulated Oscar Piastri for the Sprint Win rather than Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri: “I don’t know what i’ve won but Thank You! #F1 #BrazilianGP pic.twitter.com/HqpKQtTd2k
— LH⁴⁴ (@LH44_Updates) November 2, 2024
The Briton also commended his team for the way the move was executed. The team were able to secure a 1-2 finish and a post-sprint race penalty for Verstappen meant that he finished outside the podium places.
Looking at the complexion of the title race, McLaren will be very happy with the way the day panned out for them. The Woking-based team were able to consolidate their grip at the very top of the Constructors’ standings and Norris got that much closer to dethroning Verstappen and walking away with his maiden F1 title.
Norris remains a favorite to win despite his huge gap to Verstappen
As things stand, Norris still has a 44-point deficit to the Dutchman in the driver’s standings. And with only four more rounds left, McLaren need to maximize all their results and hope that Verstappen & Co. falter.
That said, the Briton is a strong favorite to win the title this year. His compatriot Lewis Hamilton is of the opinion that Norris will leave Abu Dhabi as a crowned champion.
He said, “There’s still a possibility of Lando catching up. I think he needs 11 points more, or something, in each of these next races, which is definitely possible with the performance they have.”
For McLaren, both Red Bull and Ferrari still pose threats. Ferrari has been in hot form during the last two races (securing a 1-2 in Austin and a 1-3 in Mexico). The Woking-based team needs to replicate their 1-2 Sprint Race result during the Grand Prix on Sunday to put more daylight between themselves and their rivals.
