F1 Champion Slams 'Nonsense' Favouritism Claims
Former Formula One World Champion Alan Jones has vehemently dismissed speculation that the McLaren team is showing favouritism towards British driver Lando Norris over his Australian team-mate, Oscar Piastri. The 1980 title winner branded the growing conspiracy theories as 'absolute nonsense', defending the team's integrity.
A Season of Highs and Lows for Piastri
The controversy began to simmer after the Italian Grand Prix, where Piastri's early season momentum was interrupted. The Australian had enjoyed a sensational start to the season, building a 34-point lead in the World Championship. However, at Monza, he was controversially ordered to cede second place back to Norris following a slow pit stop, a decision that visibly angered the 24-year-old.
The tension appeared to escalate at the Singapore Grand Prix, where Piastri expressed fury over team radio after an incident involving Norris and Max Verstappen subsequently affected his own race. 'That's not fair. I'm sorry, that's not fair,' he protested. 'If he has to avoid another car by crashing into his team-mate, then that's a pretty **** job of avoiding.' Stewards did not investigate, and Norris finished third, one place ahead of Piastri.
Piastri's challenges continued with a crash in Baku, which he labelled the 'worst weekend of racing ever'. Since that point, he has failed to secure a podium finish, while Norris has surged to take the lead in the Drivers' Championship, now holding a 24-point advantage over his team-mate with just three races remaining.
Jones and McLaren Insist on Equal Treatment
Amid the speculation, Alan Jones was unequivocal in his support for the McLaren team's fairness. 'That is the greatest load of nonsense of all time,' Jones told ABC Sport. 'These teams don't spend an absolute fortune travelling around the world to stymie one car or give preference to the other. I can assure you that both these cars are getting the same sort of treatment.'
He attributed Piastri's dip in form to the natural 'ups and downs of Formula One' and expressed his confidence in McLaren CEO Zak Brown, whom he knows well. 'He's a good racer. He'll be giving both these blokes equal chances,' Jones stated.
These sentiments were directly echoed by both Piastri and Zak Brown. Piastri denied any internal bias ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, saying, 'No, it's not the case... everything is explainable. So there's definitely none of that going on.' Brown was equally firm, simply stating, 'No chance. We’re racers.'
Reflecting on the most recent race in São Paulo, Jones also came to Piastri's defence regarding a penalty, believing the 10-second punishment for contact with Kimi Antonelli was 'ridiculous' and should have been considered a racing incident. Piastri ultimately finished the race in fifth position.
