Former F1 Champion Hints At Oscar Piastri Contract Clause Which Complicates McLaren Team Orders

Saajan Jogia | Sep 8, 2024

Second placed qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, pole position qualifier Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and third placed qualifier Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren react in parc ferme after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 24, 2024 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. / Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg believes that McLaren is considering going against its ethos of letting both number-one drivers fight for the championship. As the team closes the gap to Red Bull, the Papaya bosses must intervene through team orders, going against its "DNA" to improve its chances of winning both championships.

The Italian Grand Prix saw Oscar Piastri make a brave pass on his teammate Lando Norris on Lap 1, eventually causing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to overtake the battling McLaren MCL38s and win the race through a one-stop strategy.

Things could have been different if McLaren issued team orders to hold back the SF-24 while Norris created a significant gap ahead. This way, the team and Norris could have inched closer to leading the championship. However, Rosberg suggests that Piastri is also within mathematical reach of winning the championship.

Since his contract reportedly has a clause stating that he must be prioritized no less than the number one driver, McLaren finds itself in a tricky situation that could complicate further. With eight Grands Prix left to go, Red Bull leads McLaren in the Constructors' Championship by 8 points, while Max Verstappen leads Norris in the Drivers' Standings by 62 points. Rosberg has suggested a way McLaren could have issued team orders without being controversial. He revealed in the Sky Sports F1 Podcast:

“In Lando’s situation you want to win races on merit and not because your teammate helps you.

“Turn 4, for example? You wouldn’t see it as your teammate helping you if the team said ‘calm down, hold position to keep the Ferraris behind’.”

He added:

“It is hard on Oscar. Because he will have a No 1 contract.

“It won’t say in his contract ‘you need to help Lando’.

“He’s driving brilliantly also. He deserves every opportunity to get race wins.

“Mathematically he can still be world champion. He’s not that far behind Lando.

“It’s a hard ask for Oscar to start forfeiting race wins, potentially.”

Rosberg added that the situation was unexpected for McLaren, so the team could not have prepared for this in advance. It is especially difficult when the team's DNA is to offer both drivers an equal chance to contend. Now though, with the ball in McLaren's court, CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella could be thinking hard about their options. The ex-Mercedes driver added:

“The situation is totally unexpected to them. Their DNA is to go racing with two No1s with equal opportunity.

“They didn’t see this coming at all. It’s a big learning process for them.

“It’s a big requirement to think about, and to see what the best approach is.

“It goes against their DNA which is two No1 drivers with the same opportunity.”

He added:

“Maybe it was early because nobody thought Lando had a real chance at the championship.

“Certainly now, because it’s so clear. They are the favorites in the constructors’ championship, and the drivers’ championship is a real possibility.

“Both Andrea Stella and Zak Brown, clearly, are starting to think strongly about it.”