Lando Norris heads to the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix 22 points behind Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ standings after crashing into his McLaren teammate in the Canadian GP.
It was only a matter of time before the papaya pals collided, as Piastri and Norris fight to win the F1 drivers’ championship for the first time. But their contact on Lap 66 of 70 in Montreal last time out has now left Norris facing his biggest deficit in the standings so far this season.
Norris misjudged a chance to overtake Piastri in the Canadian GP, as the 25-year-old did not realise that his 24-year-old stablemate did not leave any space on his inside for the Briton on the pit straight. Their crash also meant Norris destroyed McLaren’s front suspension update.
McLaren seeing Norris record the Woking outfit’s first retirement of the 2025 F1 season also allowed Red Bull racer Max Verstappen to close to within 21 points of the Bristol native. The four-time champion’s P2 in the Canadian GP even lifted Verstappen to 43 points from Piastri.
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McLaren are ‘afraid’ to impose team orders amid Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris’ 2025 F1 title fight
But while CEO Zak Brown expected Piastri and Norris would crash amid their 2025 title fight, McLaren have been loath to issue team orders. Brown made it clear in May that their stance is to hold off on picking a number one driver until one of the pair can no longer win the title.
Now, Blick also reports that even with Verstappen firmly in the title mix after the 27-year-old finished the Canadian GP in second while Piastri took fourth and Norris retired, McLaren are ‘afraid’ to oblige team orders. McLaren still do not want to favour either of their drivers yet.
Before Norris crashed into Piastri in the Canadian GP, the McLaren stars were only 10 points apart in the standings. The Briton was also only set to fall to 12 points behind the Australian had he finished the Canadian GP in fifth with Piastri in fourth, as they were before the crash.
Mika Hakkinen and Mario Andretti have urged McLaren to impose team orders in 2025
McLaren’s reluctance to impose team orders on Piastri and Norris despite not having the F1 drivers’ championship in the bag as the Woking outfit likely do with the constructors’ title is not surprising. Brown and team principal Andrea Stella want to allow them both a fair shot.
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Also, McLaren were opposed to issuing team orders to help Norris chase Verstappen for the 2024 drivers’ title until the 17th of the 24 rounds held so as not to disadvantage Piastri. But their delay last term came from McLaren not truly believing Norris would catch Verstappen.
This term, despite Mika Hakkinen believing McLaren imposing team orders ‘has to happen’ when the season starts to reach a crunch point, the Woking squad are reluctant to select a No1 driver as Piastri and Norris can both become an F1 drivers’ champion for the first time.
Mario Andretti feels McLaren must pick a No1 driver, too, and he believes a decision should come as soon as the summer break with whoever is ahead between Piastri and Norris come August given preferential treatment. There are four rounds until the 2025 season hits pause.
