While it has tried to limit competition from its two drivers as much as possible, McLaren has acknowledged its willingness to use team orders at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix if necessary to secure the drivers’ championship.
Lando Norris heads into the final race weekend of the season with a 12-point lead over Max Verstappen and a 16-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri, as all three drivers remain in contention for the title. There is a scenario where Verstappen could win the race with Piastri finishing ahead of Norris, allowing the Dutchman to win the title from both McLaren drivers, and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says team orders will be imposed if necessary.
“Yes, of course,” Brown told Sky Sports. “We are realistic. We want to win this Drivers’ Championship. We go into the weekend knowing that they both have equal chances, even though there is clearly a points difference.
“You don’t know how qualifying is going to go, reliability, but if we start the race and it becomes quite clear that one has a chance and the other doesn’t, then we are going to do everything we can to win the drivers’ championship. It would be crazy not to do that.”
“We’ll see how the race goes, but we’re not going to win the championship because we’re trying to protect a third and a fourth or a sixth and a seventh, or however the situation turns out.”
The two drivers were asked on Thursday about the possibilities of such a scenario, with Norris saying he would like help if needed but would not ask for it, while Piastri said he would have to listen to the team’s plans before giving his opinion. Brown believes the relationship between the pair means it is a request that would be heeded.
“It’s a team sport, right? So we’re trying to win the constructors as a team and we’re trying to win the drivers as a team,” Brown said. “I know that sounds a bit strange, but if one of them can’t win, they want the other to win. And that’s what the team wants. They’re team players – we saw that last year, right?
“You saw that in the sprint in Brazil and I think it was Qatar. So I don’t think it’s unusual in any sport for teammates to make sacrifices for each other to give the team what they want.”
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