McLaren boss Zak Brown said it would be “crazy” not to use team orders to win the title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in certain situations if it stopped Max Verstappen stealing the title away from them on Sunday.
Lando Norris goes into Sunday’s three-way fight 12 points ahead of Red Bull driver Verstappen and 19 ahead of McLaren teammate Piastri.
Both McLaren drivers said during Thursday’s media day that the prospect of team orders have not yet been discussed, despite several obvious scenarios existing where Piastri moving over for Norris would hand the latter the title.
McLaren has tried to adhere to a policy of free and fair racing between its drivers this year but Brown has admitted in the build-up that certain scenarios will warrant an order from the pit wall.
“Yes, of course. We’re realistic. We want to win this drivers’ championship,” Brown told Sky Sports F1 about whether the team might use team orders in certain scenarios.
One hypothetical posed to the drivers on Thursday was in the circumstance Verstappen is winning Sunday’s race, with Piastri third and Norris fourth. In that instance, Norris would win the title if Piastri moved over to let him by.
Norris said on Thursday it would “not be a fair question” to ask Piastri in that scenario, although did point out he’d be happy to do the same if roles were reserved.
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McLaren has stuck to the policy of free and fair racing between its drivers this year, a policy the team itself dubbed “Papaya Rules.”
Brown said that philosophy will continue but that common sense should apply at the end.
“We’re coming into the weekend knowing that they both have equal opportunity, even though there’s obviously a point spread,” he said.
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“You don’t know how qualifying is going to go, reliability, but 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.
“We want to win the drivers’ championship. So, we’ll kind of see how the race plays out, but 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, or however the situation may play out.”
Brown said earlier this year he would be fine to watch Verstappen win the championship as a result of letting Norris and Piastri fight freely all year.
The team has used team orders already this season, with Piastri moving over for Norris at the Italian Grand Prix after McLaren botched a late pitstop for the latter. That move cost Piastri six points, which might end up being crucial come the end of Sunday’s race.
