'Papaya Orders' have been inacted more than once this season by Mclaren. The team has faced several difficult decisions on wether or not to swap their two drivers. The battle between choosing Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri has been a hard one. Now that the battle for the championship is winding down, will we see more team orders on the Las Vegas strip?
In Hungary, there was a mishap in McLaren's pitstop strategy. McLaren's decision to pit Lando Norris first caused Norris to come out in front of his teammate. At the time, Piastri was leading the race before that. While the team eventually asked Brition to give back the position, it caused quite a stir on the grid and in the media. If Norris had kept the position, he would have seven more points.
During the race at Monza, Piastri decided to go after his own success. After that, McLaren decided to favour Norris's bid for the championship. This decision became clear during the next few races, but especially during the Brazilian GP. With Norris needing to land on the top podium step this weekend, we could see team orders reenacted again.
Norris talks team orders at Las Vegas
When asked if anything would change within the team, he said, "That [what Piastri did in Brazil] didn't change anything in terms of points for the [constructors'] championship. I feel that people are trying to make something up here. I am not saying you are doing that, but we have never done anything that harms the team. I have a feeling people think we are." This was in relation to the World Drivers' Championship and McLaren's previous strategy.
Norris continued, "Everything we have done has only involved changing positions. It didn't hurt us, and it didn't benefit us. I benefited because I was in the battle for the championship, and that's the game we have to play as well, just like I helped Oscar a few times, for example, with his win in Baku. But I think Andrea [Stella] made it very clear from the beginning that we would never do anything to make the team result worse. So no, nothing is going to change."
This article was written in Collaboration with Cas Van de Kleut.
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"Norris bites off: 'I feel that people want to make stuff up'"
Oh they do. Pop into GPBlog and check out all the articles from Austin, up to a week after Mexico. See all the made up clap-trap from the RB conspiracy theorists. It's a hoot! :)
Lando say peopel want him to stuff up well they know your going stuff up look at all season wear you do stuff up .last race stuffed the start then go off track 2 times
Yes, it's not like we want it, but we are not surprised if it happens.
Every rsce you know lando going stuff up but when in race is eather at sart or half way through a race
Make sure you have enough stuffing left for Christmas :)
Oh Mavric, you don't have a hope of keeping up with me so I hope that's not your goal.
44 x6 this comment is hidden????