McLaren will break with their season-long policy and implement team orders if necessary at this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, CEO Zak Brown has confirmed, in a bid to secure the Formula 1 drivers' championship for Lando Norris.
Title Decider in the Desert
The stage is set for a dramatic climax to the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Yas Marina Circuit. Lando Norris leads the championship by 12 points from Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with his own McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, a further 16 points back in third. While McLaren secured the constructors' title in October, the drivers' crown remains fiercely contested.
Throughout the year, the Woking-based team has operated without a clear number-one driver, allowing Norris and Piastri to race freely. However, with the ultimate prize on the line, Brown has signalled a strategic shift for the final race on Sunday, 7 December 2025.
'We'd Be Crazy Not To'
In a frank admission to Sky Sports, Brown stated the team's priority is now crystal clear. "Yes, of course," Brown said when asked if he would intervene in a race scenario to aid Norris's title bid. "We're realistic. We want to win this drivers' championship."
He elaborated that while both drivers start the weekend with equal opportunity, the race situation would dictate their actions. "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," Brown emphasised.
The American CEO dismissed the notion of protecting minor positions at the expense of the title, adding: "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."
Driver Reactions to the Prospect
The potential for team orders puts the spotlight firmly on Australian Oscar Piastri. When questioned in Thursday's press conference, a smiling Piastri offered a diplomatic response. “It’s not something we’ve discussed. I don’t have an answer until I know what’s expected of me.”
Championship leader Lando Norris was similarly circumspect, shifting the responsibility to his teammate. “It’s up to Oscar if he’d allow it, it’s not down to me,” said the Briton. He did, however, reveal his personal stance: “Would I be willing to [cede position for a title] or not? Personally, I would – that’s how I am.”
Norris concluded with a philosophical note, stating that losing the title to Verstappen would not "change my life" and they would simply "go to next year."
Verstappen's Remarkable Comeback
The need for such tactical calculations stems from a stunning comeback by reigning champion Max Verstappen. Trailing by 104 points as recently as August, the Dutchman has won five of the last eight races. This charge, combined with two disastrous weekends for McLaren, has slashed Norris's once-formidable advantage to a slender 12-point margin, setting up a winner-takes-all finale in Abu Dhabi.
