Lando Norris: McLaren driver ‘would love’ team orders in Abu Dhabi GP from Oscar Piastri if needed but won’t be asking
Lando Norris admits he would “love it” if McLaren team orders with Oscar Piastri rescued a championship victory for him in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in a scenario where Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was otherwise headed for the title.
But the championship leader said “I don’t want to ask” the team for them, while both Norris and Piastri also insisted that McLaren had not discussed the possibility of such tactics with them.
Championship contenders Norris, Piastri and Verstappen sat alongside each other in Thursday’s pre-event press conference in Abu Dhabi ahead of Formula 1’s first final-race decider since 2021, and the first featuring more than two drivers in 15 years.
With Norris leading Verstappen by 12 points and Piastri by 16 points, the Briton only needs a podium finish on Sunday to become world champion for the first time even if his rivals are first and second.
Enable Cookies
Allow Cookies Once
However, one scenario widely debated in the build-up to the event is what McLaren – and their title-chasing drivers – would do late in the race in the event that Verstappen was winning, Piastri was third and Norris fourth.
In that situation Verstappen would be set to take the title, however a switch in the order of McLaren cars would see Norris claim the crown by two points instead.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Craig Slater explains what Max Verstappen, Piastri and Norris all need to do in order to clinch the title in Abu Dhabi
When that scenario and the wider topic of team orders were put to the McLaren team-mates in the press conference, Norris said: “It hasn’t been discussed. Honestly, I would love it!
“But I don’t think I would ask it because.. I don’t know. I don’t know.
“It’s up to Oscar if he would allow it. I don’t think it’s necessarily down to me.”
Norris added: “It’s the same if it was the other way around. Would I be willing or not?
“Personally, I think I would because I feel like I’m always like that and that’s how I am.
How might McLaren handle team order scenario?
Sky Sports F1’s David Croft speaking on Sky Sports News:
“I don’t think McLaren would ask directly to Oscar, but if there was a scenario on the last lap whereby, if it happened, Lando could be champion and stop Max, then maybe you hear on the team radio, ‘Oscar, you’re currently third. Your team-mate is five seconds behind you.’ And then it just puts the ball in Oscar’s court.
“If he did it, I wouldn’t have any problems with Oscar as a driver, as a human being. He’d be doing the right thing for the team in that moment, and it would be very much a team thing. And he is a team player.”
“It’s not really up to me. I don’t want to ask it because I don’t think it’s necessarily a fair question. If that’s how it ends and Max wins, then, that’s it. Congrats to him and we look forward to next year. It doesn’t change anything.”
Piastri said he would only have an answer to whether he would comply to such a request once the team had made clear to him what would be “expected” in Sunday’s 58-lap Grand Prix.
“It’s not something we have discussed,” he said.
“I don’t have an answer until I know what’s expected.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Norris, Piastri and Verstappen reveal what moments in the season they think could cost them the World Championship title
‘It’s the same as the last few weeks’ – Norris relaxed about crunch title chance
Norris and Piastri are appearing in their first championship showdown in F1, up against a reigning four-time world champion who won his maiden title the last time the race went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi 2021.
Norris’ points lead makes him the favourite, and the 26-year-old said he came into the weekend feeling relaxed.
“I’ve not been in this situation before. At the minute, I feel good. I don’t think of it at all until people ask,” he said.
“I come into the weekend not thinking of it. Just playing some golf, being with my mates and I look forward to doing that on Monday, whether I’m hungover or not!
“I will treat it the same. It’s the same as the last few weeks. I’ve still felt comfortable and felt good in the car.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show Podcast, the panel discuss if McLaren should implement team orders at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Having seen his once-commanding 34-point title lead wiped out, and then the chance to get back to winning ways in Qatar scuppered by McLaren’s strategy error under the Safety Car, Piastri is very much the outsider in the three-way hunt for the title.
However, he hopes history repeats itself given the last two times, 2010 and 2007, that more than two drivers have been in the running for the championship at the final round it has been the one who started the event third in the standings who won out.
“I’m relaxed,” said Piastri.
“I’ve been on the opposite side of the championship battle in the junior categories, and I know what that felt and it was pretty tough.
“So, coming into it from, you know, the least to lose out of us three is quite different for me. And I think off the back of Qatar, I’ve got a lot of confidence that I can perform well. Obviously,
“I need a fair few things to happen this weekend to come out champion, but I’ll just make sure I’m in the right place at the right time and see what happens.”
Verstappen ‘didn’t plan to be in title fight until the end’
Verstappen also cut a relaxed figure, which he underlined in his answer to a question posed to all three contenders about whether their respective parents were in attendance this weekend.
“Parents are not here. My dad is rallying in Africa,” said Verstappen.
“Yeah, I guess it was not planned. I also didn’t really plan to be in the title fight till the end. So, yeah, here we are.
“I think after Zandvoort [when he fell 104 points behind] everything was a bit cancelled, I would say. My mom is at home happy with the dogs. So yeah. You can see a lot on TV anyway.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
With Max Verstappen’s last title decider having come back in 2021 against Lewis Hamilton, relive one of the most incredible finishes ever in Formula One history as Verstappen passed Hamilton on the last lap to win a maiden world title.
Friday December 5
7am: F2 Practice
9am: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice One (session starts at 9.30am)*
10.55am: F2 Qualifying*
11.40am: Team Bosses’ Press Conference*
12.45pm: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)*
2.15pm: The F1 Show*
Saturday December 6
10.15am: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice Three (session starts at 11:30am)*
12.10pm: F2 Sprint*
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up*
2pm: ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING*
4pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday December 7
9.10am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up*
1pm: THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX*
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction*
4pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
The 2025 F1 season concludes with the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
