F1 News: Oscar Piastri Set To Capitalize On Championship Situation To Avoid Team Orders In 2025

Saajan Jogia | Nov 12, 2024

Oct 18, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Oscar Piastri (81) of Team Australia walks through the track entrance before practice for the 2024 US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri could capitalize on the 2024 drivers' championship situation, where Max Verstappen extended his lead by a significant margin over Lando Norris in Brazil, despite Piastri giving up positions in the past to help his teammate in the championship battle. With Norris' prospects of losing the championship to the Dutchman over the next three races, Piastri could have a valid argument against complying with team orders and being the number 2 driver next year.

The topic of team orders was a hot one to handle for McLaren, which came under fire for losing a potential lead over Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship after Piastri and Norris fought for the top spot in Monza, which allowed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to capitalize on the situation and win the race. Though McLaren took over the championship lead in the subsequent race at Baku, the non-action attracted criticism for allowing its drivers to fight at a crucial stage of the F1 season.

Since then, McLaren has focused on building its lead over Red Bull and Ferrari, and agreed to go against its ethos and support the driver who had a higher chance of competing against Verstappen for the driver's championship, which was Norris. As a result, the team started issuing team orders when necessary, which Piastri adhered to, including during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race, where he gave up his sprint victory for his teammate.

With the three-time world champion poised to potentially secure his fourth title in the next race, though Norris still has a slim chance, former F1 strategist Bernie Collins, who presents for Sky Sports F1, thinks Piastri would be in a better position to refuse the number 2 driver role in 2025. She said on the Sky F1 podcast:

“The interesting question is, the next three races.

“If we’re saying the Drivers’ Championship is done – it’s not mathematically but I understand it’s most certainly there – Piastri now has a chance to say, ‘I don’t want to be number two driver at race one next year’.

“So there’ll be no more of this give up your position in the Sprint race, give up your position in the main race.

“So I’m quite excited to see how that progresses in the next three.”

Piastri’s race engineer, Tom Stallard, explained that the Australian driver was "looking at the long game" in complying with McLaren's orders this season in the interest of the team's preferences. With three races remaining, Stallard was asked how Piastri would comply with team orders in a championship battle. He explained on the Beyond the Grid podcast:

“I think there’s two aspects to that.

“The first is that this team is really tight, and this team wants the best for the team.

“The other thing I would say is that if you’re a driver who thinks you’re going to win Drivers’ Championships, you want to be in a team that will support you to do that.

“So, if you are not prepared to help the team achieve that when it’s the other guy, how do you expect the team to treat you when it’s you the next time?

“So, not that there has to be a tit for tat within that, but simply that there have been plenty of examples of Formula 1 teams where the two drivers just rip strips off each other for the whole season, and then at the end of it, Kimi Raikkonen wins [in 2007].

“I think that, from that point of view, Oscar has been very, very positive in his support for the team and willingness to support the team in what needs to happen.

“He’s looking at the long game, and genuinely he wants his team to win.”