Hamilton And Russell React To McLaren's Norris Prioritization News: 'How Kind Of Them'
F1
Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell shared their opinions on McLaren's change in approach towards team orders.
With eight Grand Prix weekends to go before the end of the season, McLaren Racing has a real chance to win both Championships.
While the British team previously let their drivers battle on track, Andrea Stella has now acknowledged that Lando Norris has a better chance of winning the title and said the team would favor him from now on.
McLaren still stands by its previous statements of having two number-one drivers, but according to the team principal, if Oscar Piastri finds himself in a position where he can help his teammate, he will.
Stella also said that the Australian driver is prepared to give up a victory for his teammate. When Mercedes driver George Russell was asked about McLaren's changes to the "Papaya Rules," he told Sky Sports:
How kind of them! [smiles] McLaren, without a doubt, are the fastest team on the grid at the moment. If you look at probably the last or seven races, they could have arguably won every single one.
From the last seven races that Russell suggested McLaren could have won, the British F1 team stood on the podium every single time. However, they only won two - the Hungarian and the Dutch Grand Prix. He continued:
"Lando is driving great, and with the support of his teammate, let's see. But I think it more depends on Max's performance, and if he's able to finish in those second or third places, it will be very difficult for Lando."
"If he finishes in sixth and seventh, it will swing pretty quick. But I'm confident that Lando and McLaren are going to be winning a lot more races from here until the end of the season."
If Verstappen finished sixth and Norris first, the McLaren driver could gain 17 points in one race (18 with the fastest lap). If this happened three times, Verstappen's lead in the Championship would be down to 10 points.
What did Lewis Hamilton say about McLaren choosing to prioritize Lando Norris? The seven-time World Champ was super careful with his answer, as he also told Sky Sports:
"[For most people within McLaren], it's the first time that they've had such a competitive car. I think they've been handling it well and naturally, like everyone, that's challenging for wins and championships, mistakes will be made."
"But I'm not running the team, so I can't say when if they should have or shouldn't have [issued team orders to favor one driver over another]."
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