‘Let Oscar race’: Intrigue over McLaren dynamic after ‘No. 2 driver’ saga

There is growing scrutiny on the dynamic between McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando heading into this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

There is growing intrigue in the dynamic between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with hopes the McLaren teammates will be allowed to go head to head now the F1 championship has been decided.

Max Verstappen leads by 62 points after a superb victory in wet conditions at the Brazilian Grand Prix ended a 10-race winless drought and delivered a hammer blow to Norris’ slim title hopes.

The Red Bull superstar can officially clinch his fourth consecutive F1 title in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEDT). All he needs to do is finish ahead of Norris and the trophy is his.

F1 LAS VEGAS SUNDAY 5PM AEDT | Who will cash in, in Sin City? Watch every lap LIVE in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

Norris would need Verstappen to crash out of at least one of the remaining three races to have a chance of becoming world champion.

But realistically the championship battle is over, and attention has turned to whether McLaren will let Piastri and Norris race each other down the home stretch of the season.

Piastri has won two grand prix this year in Hungary and Azerbaijan, but his maiden victory was soured by McLaren telling Norris to let Piastri pass him because the Aussie had been playing the team game in previous races.

Piastri and Norris swapped places in the Brazil sprint. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

F1 fans want the McLaren teammates to race each other hard. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Some pundits believed McLaren should have let Norris win in Hungary and instructed Piastri to finish behind Norris at the Italian Grand Prix in a bid to reduce the gap to Verstappen as much as possible.

Then McLaren made Piastri gift Norris victory in the sprint race in Brazil. But by that point it was really too little, too late.

Speaking to news.com.au, former F1 driver turned commentator and race steward Johnny Herbert said he hoped McLaren would release the shackles on Piastri, who has been the team’s unofficial No. 2 driver.

“The championship looks like a slam dunk for Max now,” Herbert said, per FlashscoreUSA.com.

“It will still be a battle between Max and Lando and Oscar. Do they now let Oscar race against his teammate or race against Max as well?

“That’s where there’s going to be an interesting decision because he deserves to be given that freedom, maybe now with the situation with the championship.

“But I suppose it all depends on Vegas. If it all goes a bit pear shaped for Max and he doesn’t finish, then it changes the whole championship.

Herbert hopes Piastri will be allowed to race Norris hard and given the all clear to attempt overtakes like the move he pulled off on the first corner of the Italian Grand Prix.

“I know he had to do what he had to do (swapping positions in the Brazil sprint race) because of the chance Lando still had, but hopefully after Vegas it’ll be clear that those two can just race again and Oscar will show us what he’s capable of,” Herbert said.

“But he (Piastri) was really good once again in Brazil and showed some real pace. It’s good for you guys (Australians) to have someone with real talent out there.

“He’s only going to improve over the next couple of years and stronger for 2025 for sure, but then 2026 who knows?”

Piastri is only expected to improve next season, but Herbert believes Norris can still win a championship, even while Verstappen is in his prime.

“From a confidence point of view, Max is always going to be Max — so damn competitive at whatever track and with whatever conditions are thrown at him,” Herbert said.

“That’s what McLaren and Lando are up against, and I think there’s still more to come from Max as he matures. I think Brazil was a prime example of that.

“McLaren have massively improved and put themselves in a position to fight for the championship. They’ve achieved a lot this year.”

Max Versatppen (right) has one hand on his fourth F1 title. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Norris will need to overcome his pole position curse if he is to become world champion. In Brazil, the 25-year-old Brit relinquished the lead on lap 1 for the ninth time in his career.

“Lando, his qualifying performances are absolutely stunning,” Herbert said.

“But it’s just trying to fix that final little part in the races itself — those first couple of laps that still sadly creep into his races.

“I’ve seen drivers not nearly as complete in the mid-part of their career but then they get on top of things.

“Next year is really their chance. They have the best car. Lando has shown his speed, Oscar equally so.

“He’s going to be fighting Max and Ferrari, but also Oscar. We’ve seen Oscar really put in some fantastic performances. Yes he’s unfortunately come to a point where he’s had to help Lando out, but next year it’ll be a clean slate.

“McLaren have two very exciting drivers who have a massive, massive chance for 2025.”

Former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins told the Sky Sports F1 podcast: “Piastri now has a chance to say, I don’t want to be No. 2 driver for race one next year.

“There will be no more of this ‘give up your position in the sprint race, give up your position in the main race’.

“I’m quite excited to see how that progress in the next three (races).”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella suggested the team’s main goal has always been to win the constructors’ championship, and Norris winning the drivers’ title would be a bonus.

The team that wins constructors championship earns a prize believed to be worth $240 million

It’s not a done deal yet though, with Ferrari just 36 points behind McLaren with three races to go in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday at 5pm (AEDT). Watch the race and every practice and qualifying session on Kayo Sports.

Originally published as ‘Let Oscar race’: Intrigue over McLaren dynamic after ‘No. 2 driver’ saga