McLaren boss Zak Brown has confirmed he intends to carry out team orders at this weekend’s title decider in Abu Dhabi to prevent Max Verstappen from defeating Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to win the F1 drivers’ championship.
Norris leads Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the top of the standings with 12 points, but McLaren teammate Piastri is a further four points behind him in the final, meaning all three could win the title.
Sunday’s race could potentially bring about a scenario in which Verstappen takes the lead, which would all but end Piastri’s own championship hopes, but could help Norris claim the title by overtaking the Briton, whose podium finish would secure him the title of first-time driver.
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The McLaren duo reveal what would happen if they were asked to put Lando Norris through so Oscar Piastri could win the drivers’ championship.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports ahead of Friday’s practice session at the Yas Marina circuit, Brown was asked whether the team would expect Piastri to succumb to Norris in such a scenario.
He said: “Yes, of course. We are realistic. We want to win this drivers’ championship.
“Despite the clear difference in points, we go into the weekend knowing that both sides have an equal chance.
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Craig Slater explains what Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris need to do to win the title in Abu Dhabi.
“We don’t know how qualifying is going to go, we don’t know what the reliability is going to be, but if we get into the race and it becomes clear that one of us has a chance and the other doesn’t, we’re going to do everything we can to win the drivers’ championship. It would be strange not to do that.”
“We want to win the drivers’ championship, so we’ll see how the race goes, but just because we’re trying to defend third and fourth or sixth and seventh doesn’t mean we can’t win the championship, or we don’t know what the situation will be.”
“It’s not unusual for teammates to make sacrifices for each other.”
Norris and Piastri sat alongside Verstappen at Thursday’s drivers’ press conference and were asked about the possibility of using team orders in the final race of the season, with Verstappen saying he would not ask his teammate for help but would be “happy” to receive it.
Piastri said the team has not yet discussed the use of team orders, so “I can’t answer until we know what to expect.”
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The F1 grid will have a say on who wins the drivers’ championship.
Brown claimed he was not concerned about the backlash the team or Norris might face if they won the title at the team’s behest.
The American pointed out that last season there were two occasions in the São Paulo and Qatar sprint races when drivers passed each other following team orders.
“This is a team sport, right? So we’re trying to win the constructors’ title as a team and we’re trying to win the drivers’ title as a team,” Brown said.
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“I think it sounds a little strange to say it like that, but if one doesn’t win, they want the other to win. And that’s what the team wants. And they’re team players, and we saw that already last year, right?
“I saw it in the sprint in Brazil, and I think it was in Qatar. So I don’t think it’s unusual in any sport for teammates to sacrifice for each other to give the team what they want.”
The 2025 F1 season concludes with the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
