Lando Norris showed immense sportsmanship by allowing Oscar Piastri to win the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday. Norris had taken pole position and led every lap.
But on the run to the finish line, Norris pulled off the racing line to let Piastri through. It was risky given that George Russell had been pressuring the Australian throughout the race and remained close behind.
Russell finished within four-tenths of both drivers, but Norris executed the swap perfectly. This was effectively payback for the sophomore driver, who had given up a victory to his teammate in the Brazil Sprint at the start of the month.
On that occasion, Piastri was trying to help Norris win the drivers’ championship. But Max Verstappen sealed the title in Las Vegas, so this was an opportunity to repay the favour.
McLaren’s team orders, or lack thereof, have been one of the biggest talking points this year. Piastri dutifully obeyed in Austin, slowing down after Norris’ five-second penalty, and also let him pass in the chaotic Sao Paulo GP.
Most importantly, McLaren still picked up the maximum 15 points from the race. With Carlos Sainz fourth and Charles Leclerc fifth, they extended their lead over Ferrari to 30 points.
Jenson Button makes Mika Hakkinen comparison after Lando Norris gesture at Qatar Grand Prix
Former McLaren driver Jenson Button applauded Norris for his gesture after the race. The Woking outfit need to outscore Ferrari by 14 points on Sunday to seal the title.
This would be their first title since 1998, when Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard formed their driver line-up. Hakkinen won the title that year, the first of two in succession, and they beat Ferrari by 23 points.
Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have consistently praised the importance of the collective since taking over at McLaren. And that ethos has clearly filtered down to their fiercely competitive drivers.
“That actually takes me back to ’98, when we saw the racing between Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard,” Button said on Sky Sports F1. “The teamwork that went into winning that world championship – that was impressive. Both drivers on it today.”
Zak Brown already hinted that Oscar Piastri would be given a win
The belief among rivals was that McLaren’s rear wing changes had hurt them. They had to modify their design after complaints over their ‘mini DRS’ trick.
But they showed in Qatar that they can still be the class of the field. For 2025, it will be important to improve the car’s performance in cooler conditions.
It matters little at this stage who finishes ahead, just that McLaren maximise their haul of points. The team aren’t yet showing signs of nerves despite being on the brink of ending a 26-year drought.
Brown hinted that McLaren were ‘keeping score’ over team orders. And sure enough, when the chance arose, Piastri regained the win he was denied at Interlagos.
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