Amid growing concerns about Oscar Piastri‘s role at McLaren, Formula 1 champion Alan Jones has dismissed rumours that the team is playing favourites.
Heading into the last three rounds, Piastri sits 24 points behind Lando Norris, who has gained 58 points on his McLaren team-mate over the last six races.
The Dutch Grand Prix was the last time Piastri stood on the top step of the podium, while the following weekend in Italy was his most recent podium finish.
Since the Australian began to struggle for form in both qualifying and in race pace, there have been growing rumours and discussions that McLaren has been prioritising the Briton.
However, in the ABC’s Summer Grandstand podcast, the 1980 F1 champion Jones quickly dismissed any claims that his countryman was being a victim of his own team.
“It’s the greatest load of nonsense of all time,” said Jones. “Every single season, we come across this bulls***.
“It’s either Mark Webber against Vettel, or it’s somebody, it’s always, ‘Oh, he’s got a better car than me’ or ‘He’s getting preferential treatment’. It’s absolute crap.”
The reasoning behind Jones’ dismissal was clear, and he remained steadfast in his denial of any wrongdoing within the team.
“These teams don’t spend absolute fortunes travelling halfway around the world to stymie one car or give preference to the other,” he continued.
“I can assure you that both these cars are getting the same sort of treatment.
“I know [McLaren Racing CEO] Zak Brown very well. He’s a good racer, and he’d be giving both these blokes equal chances.”
British vs Australian champion
Jones admitted that speculation was “human nature” as he dismissed claims that McLaren, as a British-based team, would prefer Norris to triumph over Piastri.
“If it were tennis, I swear to God, they’d be saying they’re giving the bloke the wrong racket or something. It’s just rubbish,” he reiterated.
“Then you get all the rare experts coming out of the woodwork. With their opinions on this, that and the other thing. Half of them wouldn’t know one end of a car from another.
“But they’re free to give their advice whether it’s needed or not. It’s just nonsense.”
For Jones, it came down to the “ups and downs of Formula 1” as he recognised that the pendulum could swing just as quickly again in the final three rounds.
He mused, “Norris could have a DNF, Oscar win and end up back in the lead again”.
Jones drew on his own career as proof that nothing goes on behind the scenes within the various F1 teams, using his time with Carlos Reutemann as a prime example.
“It’s not [happening], certainly within the team, I can assure you,” he insisted.
“I had Carlos Reutemann, an Argentinian, as my team-mate, and the crap that used to come through that Williams was giving me better equipment, a better car, that they weren’t looking after Carlos the way they should.
“Of course, Argentinians being a little bit fiery as they are, that was sort of exaggerated even more.
“People get carried away, and half of those who get carried away have no idea about the sport whatsoever.”
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