McLaren: Prioritizing Norris over Piastri to stop Verstappen?

Is It Time to Favor Norris? McLaren Faces Championship Crossroads

The recent disqualification of McLaren in Las Vegas, added to the growing threat of Max Verstappen, has reignited a crucial debate for the team: should they prioritize one driver over another in the fight for the title? Verstappen’s victory in Las Vegas, initially seen as another step on his path, turned into a concern for McLaren after the technical sanction. This could revive the story of 2007, where two McLaren drivers competed against each other, allowing another team to take the championship. Lando Norris arrives at the Qatar Grand Prix with a 24-point lead over Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri. Norris could secure the title if he finishes third in the remaining three races, but the presence of Verstappen, four-time champion, makes the task complicated.

The team has won 13 races, but divided between Norris and Piastri, while Red Bull has won six, all by Verstappen.

Alofoke Deportes

The dilemma arises: is it time to favor Norris to secure the championship? McLaren’s philosophy, led by CEO Zak Brown, has always been to allow its drivers to compete fairly. Brown prefers to risk losing by a small margin rather than impose team orders. Brown cites the example of 2007, when Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton competed internally, which allowed Kimi Räikkönen to win the title. Brown has stated that he prefers that result to imposing team orders.

The image shows Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

McLaren’s management in 2025 is compared to that of 2007. Back then, Alonso and Hamilton competed without team orders, while in 2025, internal harmony is key. Piastri only received support from Norris when he no longer had mathematical chances for the title. The team principal, Andrea Stella, shares Brown’s vision. Stella has witnessed how team orders can negatively affect internal dynamics, as seen at Ferrari during the Michael Schumacher era. Stella is determined to avoid those mistakes at McLaren. McLaren’s decision not to implement team orders has been maintained throughout the season. However, the current situation raises the question of whether it is time to change that strategy. The possibility of Verstappen getting even closer in Abu Dhabi is a crucial factor. Furthermore, the team could be forced to sacrifice performance to avoid technical problems, which increases the risk in a sprint format weekend. With 33 points at stake in Qatar, Verstappen could reach the final with the advantage. Brown knows that there is no trophy for trying to win the “right” way. The story also plays a role. McLaren could repeat Ferrari’s history in 1982 and 1983, when the team won the constructors’ championship but not the drivers’. If Verstappen wins the 2025 drivers’ title, McLaren could be the only culprit.