Photo: McLaren
Lando Norris has denied any points loss due to McLaren’s team orders
Tereza Hořínková
News.gp journalist and a girl with big dreams
Lando Norris stated that he hasn't lost any points because McLaren took too long to agree on using team orders.
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At this point, McLaren tops the Constructors’ Championship, holding a 41-point lead over Red Bull that has struggled with car performance in recent months, failing to secure a race victory since the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
McLaren has always been the team to support the philosophy of not having a number one driver and treat both drivers the same way.
However, before last month’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, McLaren announced that it would start prioritizing Lando Norris over his teammate Oscar Piastri, to help the British driver in the battle against Max Verstappen, as part of the team’s push for a double championship title.
This came after Piastri's bold overtake on Norris during the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix, which contributed to McLaren losing a potential win to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Similarly, there have been some questionable team order decisions from the Woking-based team this season, such as at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Piastri secured his first victory after Norris was told to let him pass during the race.
However, the British driver has dismissed the idea that McLaren could have improved his chances for the championship if they had backed him over Piastri earlier in the season.
“I’ve not lost out on any points,” said Norris quoted by Motorsport Week.
“It’s like saying from Round 1 Oscar needs to let me past in every race, it doesn’t make sense.
“I’ve been the closest for a long time, but other drivers can still win the championship, not just me.
“We’re still fighting for ourselves – Oscar is fighting for himself, Charles [Leclerc] is fighting for himself. There isn’t a number.
“You cannot say exactly this race rules need to change. It doesn’t make sense. I’m very happy with how we’ve worked as a team and the direction we’re going.”
As the season heads into its final six races and three sprints, with the next race being the United States Grand Prix in two weeks, Norris is 52 points behind Verstappen in the championship and will do everything he can to challenge the reigning champion for the title.
