Lando Norris has made it clear he won’t be asking McLaren for team orders to pass his teammate Oscar Piastri during races.
This statement comes after a challenging performance at the Italian Grand Prix, where Norris started from pole position but finished third.
During the race at Monza, Piastri executed a bold move to overtake Norris right at the start.
This led to a brief battle between the two McLaren drivers, allowing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to slip past Norris as well. Leclerc ultimately took the victory, with Piastri and Norris finishing in second and third, respectively.
Norris had hoped to close the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, but a small mistake cost him a chance at victory.
With eight races remaining in the season, questions are arising about whether McLaren might consider team orders in the future to help Norris gain crucial points. Norris told the media he didn't want to beg his team to go past his teammate. He said :
“Yeah, he [Piastri] helps me.
“But I'm not here just to beg for someone to let me pass. That's not why I'm here. I'm here to race.
“He drove a better race than me, so I finished third, and that's where I deserved to finish."
Despite the circumstances, Norris emphasized that he is focused on racing rather than relying on his team to prioritize him over Piastri. He said:
“I mean, I would love it, but… it’s not up to me.
“It's tough because obviously I think as any driver you don't want [team orders]. You don't want things to just be played that way and yeah… it's a tough one.
“You know you don't want things to just be played that way. It's a tough one. Obviously, I wouldn't say we're running out of time, but time is going away slowly, and I still believe I still believe we can do it.
“The pace is obviously great. I still believe we're probably close to, if not the best car again today. I don't know. It's not for me to decide. It's for the team, but I think we're still working together well.
“We're still helping one another and I think that showed plenty of times this year that we're working together very well as a team and we're performing as the best team out on the grid and we're very happy with that.
“When you're fighting for a championship, you want every little thing and I'm doing everything I can. The best way simply is just to win the race. And I didn't do that today because of some silly things.“
As McLaren continues to improve, they are poised to overtake Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, given the current narrow point difference.
The team dynamic remains strong, and both drivers are committed to working together as they pursue their championship goals.
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