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LANDO NORRIS VS OSCAR PIASTRI: MCLAREN ALLOWS FREE RACE IN CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
Zak Brown confirms McLaren won't use team orders in Qatar, allowing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to race for the title. Max Verstappen remains a serious threat.
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McLaren CEO Zak Brown has reiterated that the team won't use team orders in Qatar as long as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both in contention for the world title. They're currently separated by 22 points.
This stance remains even though Max Verstappen is still a threat, trailing by 25 points. He needs to beat Norris on Sunday to stay in the championship race and could potentially overtake both McLaren drivers for the F1 2025 title.
McLaren's Reason for Avoiding Team Orders
Earlier this season, McLaren held the top two spots in the Drivers' Championship. After the summer break, Oscar Piastri opened a big lead of 104 points over Verstappen. Norris was also ahead, 70 points clear, despite a retirement.
The team was in a strong position, with the only question being which teammate would win the title.
Since the Dutch Grand Prix, McLaren's lead has tightened. Heading into Qatar, Norris leads, with Piastri in second due to having more wins than Verstappen, as they are tied on 366 points.
In Saturday's Sprint race, Piastri won by five seconds over George Russell, with Norris another second behind in third.
This result trimmed the gap between the McLaren teammates to 22 points. Verstappen finished fourth, behind Norris, and is now 25 points behind the lead and three behind Piastri.
This means all three drivers are still in contention for the championship as they head into Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix. A win for Norris would give McLaren its first Drivers' title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. Anything less could open the door for Piastri or Verstappen.
McLaren isn't yet willing to tell Piastri to let Norris pass to shut Verstappen out of the race. Piastri, who starts on pole position at the Lusail International Circuit, is still very much in the fight himself.
Brown told Sky F1, We're taking it one race at a time. We have two drivers who could leave this race leading the World Championship.
So, how can we do anything but give both drivers an equal chance to lead the championship?
If we get to Abu Dhabi and one driver can't win, then of course we'll ask the other to help.
But while both guys can go to Abu Dhabi as possible championship leaders, it would be crazy to do anything other than let them race in Qatar.
While Brown states that McLaren won't use team orders, they have discussed the possibility with Piastri.
Before the Qatar weekend, Piastri told the media, We've had a very short discussion, and the answer is no.
I'm equal on points with Max and have a good chance of still winning if things go my way.
Brown said that these conversations are normal for McLaren and part of an open relationship with its drivers.
"We talk about everything, and I think that's why we have such a great working relationship with our drivers, Andrea, myself, and the whole team," he said.
We just talk about topics. We don't avoid them. We don't pretend they don't exist.
We talked about it, and we're open and honest.
It's clear we have two guys who can win this championship, so we're not going to change anything until the situation changes.
For now, both McLaren drivers and Verstappen are still in the hunt.
He's like the horror movie character who you think is down and then suddenly appears—you thought he was out! Brown said of Verstappen.
He's incredibly talented, as good as anyone we've seen. We have to ignore him, even though it's hard to do, as we can't control what he does.
2026 RULES: MAX VERSTAPPEN MAY QUIT F1 BEFORE RED BULL CONTRACT
Max Verstappen threatens to end his Red Bull contract early and quit F1 in 2026 if the new regulations aren't enjoyable. He's also planning a Le Mans entry with Fernando Alonso.
Max Verstappen might leave Formula One in 2026 if the new rules don't make racing “fun.” He has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, but he might end it early if things aren't right.
His future has been a hot topic in 2025, with people wondering if he'll switch to Mercedes instead of staying with Red Bull.
Toto Wolff wanted Verstappen for 2026, but Verstappen's recent statement suggests he might not even be available for 2027.
My contract goes to 2028, but it depends on the new rules in 2026, and if they are nice and fun,” Verstappen told PA before the Qatar race. “If they are not fun, then I don't really see myself sticking around.
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Winning seven titles isn't my goal. I have three more years after this one, so it’s possible, but I don’t need to do it before I leave. I could leave tomorrow.
I have other interests, like different racing types. I want to spend more time with my family and control my own schedule. Once I quit, I won't come back. I’m done for good.
Verstappen wants to race in the Nurburgring 24 Hours next year, having gotten his DMSB Permit A earlier this year. He also has sports car racing plans.
“I would definitely like to do Le Mans,” he said last year. “I went there when my dad raced, and the vibe is amazing. It’s long, there are many people, and you drive at night and see the sunrise—it’s really cool.”
Verstappen talked to Fernando Alonso, a two-time world champion, about racing together at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “I’ve been talking to Fernando about it,” he said. “He only wants to do it with me again. That would be really cool.”
“The thing is, Le Mans doesn’t have a minimum driver weight. I’m a heavy driver, so I need light teammates to make up for it. Fernando is light, so that’s good, but we need one more—I have to find someone!”
ABU DHABI SHOWDOWN: MCLAREN BLUNDER PUTS THREE DRIVERS IN TITLE FIGHT
McLaren's costly decision not to pit during an early Safety Car ruined their race, handing Max Verstappen victory. The three-way championship fight now heads to Abu Dhabi.
Formula 1 fans are unhappy after McLaren's bad weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix. The three-way championship will now be decided in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season.
McLaren started strong at the Losail International Circuit, locking out the front row. But they finished in second and fourth place after making the wrong call during an early safety car period.
Oscar Piastri kept his lead, and Lando Norris fell to third behind Max Verstappen at the start. When Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly crashed, the safety car came out. While everyone else pitted, McLaren stayed out, which turned out to be a mistake.
Norris had a chance to knock Verstappen out of the championship fight in Qatar. Now, the battle goes to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points, and Piastri trails Verstappen by four.
Fans have been sharing their opinions, and many are critical of McLaren's strategy.
One fan wrote on Reddit, I just rewatched the race... Did McLaren really think they could beat a Verstappen who's still trying to win the championship? McLaren has made some crazy decisions this season, but this was too much.
Another fan said, I'm just feeling negative about it all.
Someone else commented, After hearing about the tire issue earlier in the weekend, I thought everyone would pit during any VSC or SC after lap 7. I was shocked when two McLarens stayed out. Missing an easy stop was a bad idea right away. They just needed to be a little careful, but they weren't. Another added, This is one of the biggest screw-ups I've seen in a while!
Other comments included, "I think they knew they messed up but tried to keep Lando's spirits up," and "Typical McLaren strategy call." Based on hope, not reality.
One fan wrote, If I quit my good job and tell my wife, 'I have more freedom in my career,' she'd divorce me the next day. The number of pit stops required was limited in this race. You don't need a supercomputer to figure out the possibilities and better odds. Mess around, and you'll get a bad result.
A very unhappy fan added, It's a huge mistake. Everyone was questioning it during the race—commentators, drivers, everyone. It seemed like everyone was shocked by McLaren's choices. They could have easily gotten first and second or first and third between Oscar and Lando. Either way, Max would have been out of the title fight.
Instead, they've created a tense three-way championship decider in Abu Dhabi. McLaren is lucky that Lando passed Antonelli on the last lap. Those two extra points could save Lando in the end.
Other than that, there's nothing good for them. They had no excuse to mess it up since Max was clearly slower, but they did it anyway.
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