bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

McLaren are poised to introduce team orders to support Lando Norris’ bid to beat Max Verstappen to the drivers’ world title in this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Widespread reports following a BBC interview published on Thursday – in which McLaren team boss Andrea Stella said the team would “bias our support to Lando” – made clear they were abandoning a policy of non-interference.
“The overall concept is we are incredibly determined to win, but we want to win in the right way,” Stella said.
“We [will] bias our support to Lando, but we want to do it without too much compromise on our principles.
“Our principles are that the team interest always comes first. Sportsmanship for us is important in the overall way we go racing. And then we want to be fair to both drivers.”
Briton Norris is 62 points behind three-time champion Verstappen of Red Bull with eight Grand Prix races left this year, plus three sprint races.

His McLaren teammate Australian Oscar Piastri is fourth, 106 points adrift of the Dutchman, and has played a prominent part in the team’s resurgence to move within eight points of Red Bull in the constructors’ title race.
But given a freedom to race without interference, the drivers have lost points in some races where their duels allowed an opportunity for other drivers, such as in the recent Italian Grand Prix at Monza won by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
The two McLarens started the race with a lockout of the front row of the grid.
On current form, McLaren may be the fastest team in Baku and could topple Red Bull from the top of the teams’ title race for the first time in more than two years.
Verstappen, who dominated last season’s title race with ease, has not won in six races – since the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
Stella, an Italian former Ferrari engineer, said both drivers had accepted the decision.
“When I said to Oscar ‘would you be available to give up a victory?’, he said ‘it’s painful, but if it’s the right thing to do now, I will do it’,” Stella said.


Meet Danica Patrick, the ex-Nascar driver who loves Trump: the F1 commentator and winery owner campaigned for the president-elect but wasn’t invited to the Mar-a-Lago after-party …

Macau Grand Prix returns with top racers and thrilling events

Formula 1: Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu to leave Sauber, as Gabriel Bortoleto joins team

Las Vegas GP: Mercedes have no plans for Lewis Hamilton to call early end to team career

Formula One (F1)

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: McLaren to introduce team orders to support Lando Norris’ title bid

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (left) and Lando Norris are fourth and second, respectively, in the standings ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Photo: Reuters

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team would “bias our support to Lando”. Photo: Reuters

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Max Verstappen, Red Bull seek to bounce back at Formula 1’s Baku leg

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished sixth in Monza last week, while both Ferraris, both McLarens and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton filled the top five. Photo: AFP

McLaren’s Lando Norris is 62 points behind Verstappen and his team are nine behind Red Bull. Photo: AFP

Red Bull’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez celebrates with his team after winning in Baku last year. Photo: dpa

Dutch Grand Prix: 5 key takeaways from the Dutch Formula 1 race, Lando Norris’ crunch win

McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris reacts after winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort circuit on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (left) looks on as McLaren’s Lando Norris hoists the winning trophy at Zandvoort. Photo: Xinhua

More than 300,000 spectators braved the contrasting weather conditions to attend the three days of the Dutch GP. Photo: Xinhua

Formula One: star designer Newey to join Aston Martin next year, will become shareholder

Aston Martin’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso makes a pit stop during the Italian Grand Prix. Adrian Newey will join the team on March 1. Photo: AFP

Red Bull technical director Adrian Newey arrives ahead of third free practice in Monaco. Photo: AP

F1: Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes is teenager Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli, 18, will drive for Mercedes next season as a replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. Photo: AFP 

Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes at the end of the season and will drive for Ferrari. Photo: AFP

What Hong Kong can learn from how Singapore made a success of its Formula One grand prix

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jnr celebrates winning the Singapore Grand Prix last September. Photo: Reuters

Samantha Chen said Singapore kept its grand prix fresh by being responsive to local needs. Photo: EPA-EFE

SCMP’s Paul McNamara, CAA Sports’ Samantha Chen and the National Games office’s Paul Cheng. Photo: Eugene Lee

Sport

Team principal Andrea Stella says the team will abandon a policy of non-interference in their quest to overtake Red Bull, Max Verstappen


Team principal Andrea Stella says the team will abandon a policy of non-interference in their quest to overtake Red Bull, Max Verstappen.


Azerbaijan