'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
McLaren star Lando Norris goes into the season finale at Abu Dhabi as the championship leader with Max Verstappen trailing him by 12 points. Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, trails his teammate by 16 points. With all three drivers having a shot at the title, Zak Brown came out and made McLaren's tactics for the Abu Dhabi GP public.
Lando Norris would've won the title in Qatar had he won the race. But a poor getaway followed by a disastrous strategy for McLaren meant that Max Verstappen was brought into the picture. If the Dutchman wins the race at Yas Marina and Norris finishes P4 or lower, the Red Bull star will take home his fifth title.
Similarly, Oscar Piastri needs to win the race, and for Lando Norris to finish P6 or lower to win his first title. Amid this, McLaren CEO Zak Brown was questioned whether Piastri would help Norris by giving his position away in case Verstappen was winning the race and the title.
Trending
McLaren implied the Papaya rules earlier this year, which were not to favour either of the drivers in the championship battle. However, the same backfired at the Italian GP, where a slow pitstop for Lando Norris meant Piastri had to give the position back to his teammate.
Nevertheless, when questioned if McLaren would use team orders on the radio, Zak Brown said,
“Yes, of course. We're realistic. We want to win this Drivers' Championship. We're coming into the weekend knowing that they both have equal opportunity, even though there's obviously a point spread.” (via Sky Sports)
“You don't know how qualifying is going to go, reliability, but if we get into the race and it's becoming pretty clear that one has a chance and the other doesn't, we're going to do what we can to win the Drivers' Championship. It would be crazy not to. We want to win the Drivers' Championship,” added Brown
“So, we'll kind of see how the race plays out, but we're not going to not win the championship because we're trying to protect a third and a fourth or a sixth and a seventh, or however the situation may play out,” he concluded
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri react to McLaren’s potential team orders at the F1 2025 championship decider
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were questioned during the media day about team orders at the Abu Dhabi GP, in case Max Verstappen was leading the race, and the Australian needed to yield a position to his teammate for the Briton to win the championship.
“No, it’s not been discussed. Honestly, I would love it, but I don’t think I would ask it. It’s up to Oscar whether he would allow it. It’s not really down to me. Personally, I think I would, because that’s just how I am. But I’m not going to ask — I don’t think it’s a fair question. If Max wins because of that, congrats to him, and we move on to next year.”
If Lando Norris finishes on the podium, he will become the 2025 champion, but if he finishes any lower, then it'll be dependent on Verstappen's finishing position.
