Former Haas boss Guenther Steiner has advised McLaren to favour Oscar Piastri as the Formula 1 Drivers’ title fight reaches its business end.
The Australian has led the title from Round 2 onwards, fending off the challenge of team-mate Lando Norris, the pair juggling their own aspirations and the Woking-based squad’s ‘team first’ principles.
Whilst the pair have largely adhered to this rule, but there have been waves of contention in the often-calm papaya waters.
The most recent came at last week’s Singapore Grand Prix, in which Norris muscled his way by Piastri, via a little bit of contact, to take third place on Lap 1, a position he held until the finish.
Despite losing ground to Norris in the last three rounds, the Brit’s DNF in Zandvoort still provides a buffer for the Australian, and leads by 22 points.
There are still six rounds left to run, giving Norris a chance to overturn the deficit and take the title himself, but Steiner, speaking on the Red Flags podcast, believes the season is too close to its conclusion with too much at stake to allow both men to fight it out.
“I would say first of all, a fantastic job,” he said, speaking of McLaren’s Constructors’ title win, secured by Norris’ third place at the Marina Bay Circuit.
“But what they put on in Singapore was not a World Championship show.
“The car performance was good, but with the drivers at some stage, either you have rules or you don’t have rules.
“Papaya rules, which nobody knows what they are, if they even exist, but you change them around and one day it’s like this.”
Steiner backs Piastri to be given free reign by McLaren amid late Verstappen challenge
It might be simple to let both Norris and Piastri battle it out until the very end, but since Zandvoort, Max Verstappen has won twice and took second in Singapore.
The Dutchman has therefore made inroads in the McLaren pair’s significant lead, and with Red Bull appearing to have made significant improvements to its RB21 car, the chances of a Verstappen comeback, no matter how slim, should not be discounted.
“Either you let them race or if you’re getting worried to lose the World Championship, you have to make the call,” Steiner said.
“You have to tell one guy, and obviously that one guy is Oscar in the moment because he has got more points than Lando.
“I’m sorry, and it’s nothing against Lando. Oscar put himself in the first two-thirds of the races in a better position.
“Now it’s ‘you go and win the World Championship’ because if they lose the Drivers’ World Championship now, I wouldn’t be happy.
“And then you have got two unhappy drivers, at least if you favour one, you’ve got only one unhappy driver.”
READ MORE – Lewis Hamilton gives Oscar Piastri cryptic advice in F1 title duel
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