Lando Norris arrives in Abu Dhabi 12 points clear of Max Verstappen with a genuine shot at his first world championship. His teammate Oscar Piastri sits 16 points back, mathematically alive but realistically out of contention. The solution seems obvious, doesn’t it? Team orders. A simple swap if needed. Basic mathematics.
Except Norris won’t ask for help. And McLaren hasn’t even discussed it with their drivers. Because nothing says “championship-winning mentality” quite like refusing to acknowledge reality until it punches you in the face on Sunday afternoon.
The Question Nobody at McLaren Wants to Answer
When asked about potential team orders during Thursday’s FIA press conference, Norris delivered a masterclass in diplomatic fence-sitting. He’d “love it” if Piastri helped him. But he won’t ask. Because asking wouldn’t be “fair.”
“It’s up to Oscar if he would allow it. I don’t think it’s necessarily down to me. Personally, I think I would do it, just because that’s how I am. But I’m not going to ask it. I don’t want to ask it because I don’t think it’s a fair question.” – Lando Norris
Fair. That word again. McLaren’s entire season summed up in four letters. They’ve spent 2025 treating both drivers equally whilst Verstappen clawed back a 104-point deficit through sheer bloody-minded determination and their strategic incompetence.
The papaya rules. The commitment to letting teammates race. The absolute refusal to prioritise one driver over another even when championships hang in the balance. Revolutionary thinking that’s about to hand Red Bull another title they didn’t deserve two months ago.
Piastri’s Non-Answer Says Everything
Oscar Piastri was sat right next to Norris during this delightful exchange. His response to the team orders question? Pure gold.
“It’s not something we’ve discussed. Until I know what’s expected, I don’t really have an answer until I know what is expected of me.” – Oscar Piastri
Translation? “Nobody’s told me what to do yet, so I’m keeping my options open.” Brilliant strategy from the Australian. Why commit to helping your teammate when you could theoretically still win yourself?
Never mind that Piastri needs to win whilst Norris finishes sixth or lower. Never mind that the likelihood of that scenario is roughly equivalent to Ferrari executing perfect strategy. He’s got mathematical hope, and McLaren’s fairness doctrine means he gets to chase it regardless of consequences.
The Australian even admitted he’s coming from “the position with the least to lose out of us three.” Which is refreshingly honest but also slightly terrifying. A driver with nothing to lose can either play the perfect team game or decide that blocking Verstappen matters less than beating his teammate.
The Hamilton-Rosberg Nightmare Nobody’s Mentioning
Remember Abu Dhabi 2016? Lewis Hamilton deliberately slowed the pace whilst leading, desperately trying to back Nico Rosberg into the clutches of Sebastian Vettel and a teenage Max Verstappen. Mercedes’ pit wall pleaded with him to speed up. Hamilton ignored them entirely, focused solely on his own championship mathematics.
Rosberg held on. Won the title. Retired five days later. Mercedes spent years rebuilding trust between their warring factions.
That scenario could absolutely play out again on Sunday. Piastri leading, Norris second, Verstappen third. Does the Australian maintain pace and secure McLaren a 1-2? Or does he slow things down, applying pressure to Norris whilst inadvertently helping the Red Bull driver close the gap?
Sky’s David Croft sees it coming: “Oscar could drop the pace slightly to put Lando under pressure, or even push him into traffic. That’s not unthinkable, and frankly, that’s racing.”
Russell Calls Out McLaren’s Nonsense
George Russell, who could play spoiler if Mercedes suddenly discovers pace they haven’t shown all season, delivered the most sensible take of the entire press conference. Team orders would be completely unreasonable in this scenario.
“I don’t think it’s acceptable or reasonable to ask a driver who also has a shot of the championship in the very last race to move over for your teammate. They both need to be given a shot. If they lose out because of it, you just need to say the other guy did a better job. That’s racing.” – George Russell
Russell’s right, of course. Asking Piastri to sacrifice his own mathematical title chances would be grotesque. But he’s also spectacularly wrong about the broader picture.
This isn’t Rubens Barrichello moving aside for Michael Schumacher when he had no championship hopes. But it’s also not two drivers with genuinely equal chances. Piastri needs a minor miracle. Norris needs a podium finish. The mathematics aren’t remotely comparable.
When Russell mentioned Sergio Perez helping Verstappen or Barrichello supporting Schumacher as “absolutely reasonable” examples of team orders, he conveniently ignored that those drivers were designated number twos from the start. McLaren’s refused to designate anyone, which is admirable in theory and catastrophic in practice.
The Scenarios Where Fairness Becomes Stupidity
Here’s where McLaren’s philosophical commitment to equality becomes genuinely absurd. Picture this: Verstappen leads. Piastri runs third. Norris sits fourth. If positions stay that way, the Dutchman wins his fifth consecutive championship.
One radio call changes everything. “Oscar, let Lando through.” Suddenly Norris is third, seals the title, and McLaren completes the double. Simple mathematics. Basic strategy.
But that would require McLaren to actually make a decision. To prioritise outcomes over principles. To acknowledge that 12 points matters more than philosophical purity about fairness.
Team principal Andrea Stella spoke after Qatar about their disastrous safety car strategy, insisting they’ll “let the drivers be in condition to race each other, but what’s important is that we beat Verstappen with one of our two drivers.”
Beat Verstappen with “one of” their drivers. Not “ensure Norris wins.” Not “prioritise our championship leader.” One of two. Because heaven forbid they actually pick a side when titles are on the line.
When “I’d Do It” Doesn’t Mean You’ll Ask For It
The most revealing moment came when Norris admitted he’d personally accept team orders if the situation were reversed. Then immediately clarified he won’t ask Piastri to do the same. Because asking wouldn’t be “fair.”
This is the mindset taking a 12-point lead into a title decider against the most ruthlessly efficient championship winner of his generation. Verstappen doesn’t worry about fairness. He worries about winning. Red Bull doesn’t concern itself with philosophical principles. They concern themselves with executing strategy that delivers results.
Meanwhile, McLaren’s championship leader is more worried about whether asking for help constitutes an unfair question than whether losing the title because he didn’t ask constitutes an unfair outcome.
“If that’s how it ends and Max wins, then that’s it. Congrats to him and look forward to next year. It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change my life. He will deserve it over us,” Norris concluded.
How inspirational. The championship leader has already accepted defeat as a reasonable outcome if McLaren’s fairness experiment backfires. Verstappen must be absolutely terrified facing that level of determination.
The Title McLaren Might Throw Away
Norris needs a podium finish to guarantee the championship regardless of what Verstappen does. Third place or better, and it’s done. No team orders required. No philosophical dilemmas about fairness. Just racing.
But if he’s fourth and Piastri’s third with Verstappen winning? That’s when McLaren’s commitment to equality gets tested properly. That’s when Stella has to choose between sporting principles and championship silverware.
Based on everything McLaren’s said and done this season, they’ll probably let both drivers race. Verstappen will win the title. And Woking will congratulate themselves on maintaining their sporting integrity whilst watching Red Bull lift another trophy they absolutely shouldn’t have won.
Remember when Carlos Sainz left Ferrari for Williams and everyone thought he was mad? At least James Vowles’ team executes strategy competently. McLaren’s got the fastest car and two brilliant drivers but seems determined to lose through principled incompetence.
Sunday’s race will either vindicate McLaren’s fairness doctrine or expose it as the championship-losing philosophy it appears to be. Verstappen’s probably already planning his fifth title celebration. And Norris? He’s making sure nobody can accuse him of asking unfair questions.
How very sporting of him. Wonder if that fairness feels as satisfying when Verstappen’s holding the trophy on Sunday night?
