McLaren Driver Equality Is ‘Playing With Fire’

As far as championship leader Oscar Piastri is concerned, he is not regarded as McLaren’s number 1 driver.

“Nope,” said the cool Australian when asked if his 22-point lead, extended when his teammate Lando Norris crashed into him in Montreal, meant that McLaren would now impose team orders and a driver hierarchy.

It’s music to the ears of Norbert Haug, the former Mercedes motorsport boss who worked intimately with the Woking-based team many years ago.

“I’m glad they are giving their drivers a fair chance to fight for the title,” said the German. “I hope it continues because it’s real motorsport and that’s how it should be.

“They’ll just have to live with isolated incidents like what we saw in Canada. At some point it will be very difficult for them, but I believe that Andrea Stella and Zak Brown can keep it under control.

“Their position at the moment should be seen as a role model.”

Former Haas boss Gunther Steiner, however, strongly disagrees.

“McLaren needs a team order now,” he is quoted as saying by Bild newspaper. “There’s no other way to beat (Max) Verstappen.

“It’s certainly being discussed internally, but I think those in charge don’t want to upset their drivers. They’re hoping the issue will resolve itself by one of the drivers being eliminated from the title race.

“But that’s playing with fire,” Steiner added. “McLaren must act, or they’ll be overtaken.”

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko is happy to see the McLaren drivers fight, but in Montreal, he lamented that the ‘wrong’ driver in orange retired.

“What I said was that in a collision like that, the rear tyre is the one that is usually damaged,” Marko clarified to Osterreich newspaper. “But Piastri was lucky to be able to continue.

“At some point, his luck will run out too.”

Indeed, Piastri scoffed at the suggestion that his 22-point buffer over Norris is “healthy”.

“Your version of healthy is much bigger than mine,” the 24-year-old told the reporter.

“I think, for me, I just want – and we all want – a fair opportunity, especially in the drivers’ championship, because ultimately it can only be one of us.”

As for suggestions that talks are already taking place behind the scenes about number 1 driver status, Piastri added: “I think the situation has to change dramatically to start having those conversations.

“So no, I’m not willing to enter those talks at all.”