Lando Norris has stated he would not ask McLaren to use team orders to aid his Formula One title bid in the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. The British driver leads the championship by 12 points from Red Bull's Max Verstappen and 16 from teammate Oscar Piastri, with all three still in contention for the crown.
Norris insisted no discussions about team orders have taken place, saying he would not request his teammate to cede position. “Honestly, I would love it. But I don’t think I would ask it. It’s up to Oscar if he would allow it. I don’t think it’s necessarily down to me,” he said. He added that if Verstappen wins the title, “congrats to him and I look forward to next year.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has indicated the team will discuss scenarios to ensure clarity, but Piastri confirmed he has not been told what is expected. “It’s not something we’ve discussed. Until I know what’s expected, I don’t really have an answer,” he said.
Mercedes' George Russell criticised the potential use of orders, calling it “unacceptable” to ask a driver also in title contention to move aside. “They both need to be given a shot and if they lose out because of it, you just need to say the other guy did a better job and that’s racing,” he said.
Norris, who could secure McLaren's first drivers' championship since 2008, described what a title win would mean: “It would mean everything. It would mean my life until now has been a success and I’ve accomplished that dream I had when I was a kid.”
