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Lando Norris will not be granted preferential treatment over his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri as the world championship reaches its climax.
That is despite Norris’s lead being slashed to just 24 points over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen heading into the season’s penultimate race in Qatar.
Piastri is also 24 points back but viewed as the least likely of the three to triumph, given his relative collapse in form.
The contest was blown wide open in Las Vegas last Sunday when the two McLarens were disqualified for running illegal planks while Verstappen won.
But McLaren are regardless holding firm to the spirit of their Papaya Rules and will treat their two drivers equally.
Asked if he would act as Norris’s wingman, Piastri said: ‘We had a very brief discussion on it and the answer is “no”.
Lando Norris will not be granted preferential treatment over his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri as the world championship reaches its climax
The Brit leads the Formula One championship by 24 points, ahead of Max Verstappen (left)and Piastri (right), with two races to go
‘I’m equal on points with Max and I’ve got a decent shot of still winning it if things go my way, and that’s how we’ll play it.’
Norris can win the title ahead of the finale in Abu Dhabi if he outscores both Verstappen and Piastri by two points across tomorrow’s (Sat) sprint and Sunday’s main race.
Verstappen supported McLaren fair approach, saying: ‘Why would you suddenly say Oscar isn’t allowed to race? I’d tell them to f-off.
‘You have to race. Otherwise, you label yourself a No 2 and Oscar wouldn’t want that.’
