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Reuters

Lando Norris said he is not expecting teammate Oscar Piastri to gift him race wins despite McLaren’s decision to put the Briton first in the Formula One title battle with Max Verstappen.
Team principal Andrea Stella said ahead of Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix that McLaren wanted to support Norris “without too much compromise on our principles”.
Norris told reporters in Baku that the reset was more likely for lower positions rather than if they were running first and second.
“He’s still fighting for his own racing,” the Briton said. “He’s still going out and doing his stuff.
“And it could be that there’s no time this year that he needs to help me. It’s more that I’ve got Oscar’s help when needs be.

“If he fought for a win and he is deserving of a win, then he deserves to win. If he goes out and he is better than me, and performs better than me, and outqualifies me, and he wins a race, that’s because he has done a better job.”
Norris is second overall and 62 points behind Red Bull’s triple world champion Verstappen with eight rounds remaining, plus three sprint races, while Piastri is fourth and 106 off the lead.
There are a maximum 232 points still to be won in the drivers’ championship.
McLaren are chasing both titles and could go top in the constructors’ standings in Baku, with the team only eight points behind once-dominant Red Bull.
Norris said it would hurt to miss out by a few points but did not want to be given a title.
“That’s not how I want to win a championship. I want to win it by fighting against Max, by beating Max, beating my competitors and proving that I’m the best on track,” he said. “And that’s how I want to win.”
Bigger picture
Piastri said separately that while team orders were “not that fun”, there was a bigger picture.
“Of course, being selfish, I would prefer to not have it, but I’m very aware that it’s not just about me and I’m happy to play a supporting role at this point in the season,” the Australian added.
“I think any earlier in the season, it would have been probably excessive but I think now it’s an appropriate time to try and help the team win both championships.
“I think the main point is it’s not purely just going to be me pulling over for Lando every single race because that’s how none of us, including Lando, want to go racing.”
Stella said the team’s principles were that the team interest always comes first.
“Sportsmanship for us is important in the overall way we go racing,” the Italian said. “And then we want to be fair to both drivers.”
He said McLaren wanted to avoid a repeat of the situation in Monza where Norris lined up in pole position with Piastri second but ultimately lost out to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
In that race, Piastri overtook Norris at the second chicane with Leclerc seizing second place from the Briton, who had to slow, before winning on strategy. Verstappen finished sixth.


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Formula One (F1)

Azerbaijan GP: Lando Norris not expecting favours from McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri

McLaren’s Lando Norris Norris says it would hurt to miss out on the tile by a few points but he also did not want to be given a title. Photo: Reuters

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won in Monza ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris (right) and Oscar Piastri. Photo: AFP

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

Sport

With the team fighting for both F1 championships, McLaren boss says team will give Norris priority and Piastri accepts the ‘bigger picture’


With the team fighting for both F1 championships, McLaren boss says team will give Norris priority and Piastri accepts the ‘bigger picture’.


Max Verstappen