McLaren to keep equal treatment of drivers is the main theme going to the Qatar Grand Prix in which the amount of tension in the championship race has been particularly heightened following the dramatic outburst of the Las Vegas disqualification. The move, by team principal, Andrea Stella, to show equal backing to both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri though resurging Max Verstappen has continued to challenge the main stream tactically with clashes at the paddock. With just two rounds to go and the difference narrowing to a mere 24 points, the stage is solidly set on the internal affairs of the British team and its desire to win the title.

The sudden omission of the two McLaren vehicles at Las Vegas made a huge altercation to the ranks. Norris is still, at this point with a comfortable 30-point gap to his teammate and 42-point advantage to Verstappen, only one race-win above the three-time world champion. After four consecutive podiums including Mexico and Brazil wins, the fine had wiped out what seemed to be a winning streak in form: Norris was the apparent favourite in the Drivers’ Championship. First of all, he overtook Piastri who had led 34 points after Zandvoort in the race; and then he gathered impetus which placed him in a strong position. But the disqualification strategy has triggered the battle again.

In the meantime, the recent decline of Piastri is a complication. His final podium was at Monza at the beginning of September and he has not kept pace with nor consistency of Norris through the autumn strip. Piastri has lost fourth place in Las Vegas and is now on equal points with Verstappen after the Australian lost fourth place in Las Vegas that is an enormous reversal given that only seven race weekends ago, he was leading Verstappen by 104 points.

Verstappen, who never gave up during the final months of the season, has won four and one sprint in the weeks following Zandvoort dragging himself back into the game. To most viewers, the question is not difficult to answer: are McLaren supposed to favor one of their drivers so that they can secure their first title win in as long as 2008?

Nevertheless, the response of the McLaren executive is unchangeable. Stella has made it clear several times that the competition will still go on until one driver is mathematically killed. He preempted Qatar by saying that there was no need to change the strategy even when pressured externally. He emphasized that the two drivers would be allowed to compete freely and the team was very dedicated to the fairness of competition and harmony amongst themselves. The statement reinforces the previous comment by CEO Zak Brown that he would simply prefer to run the risk of experiencing the same incident as in 2007 when McLaren lost both championships due to in-fighting inside the company than jeopardize equal opportunity such a short time into its existence.

To Norris, Qatar will be his first championship match point. In case he wins both the sprint and the main race by two points over Piastri and Verstappen, then he will claim the title. On the one hand, mathematically he is the favorite, and according to the team, the emotional force acquired in Las Vegas will turn the disappointment into the desire to fight. In this case, Stella stated that the composite and strong atmosphere of his work in the factory can be explained by the effectiveness of the team in processing the adversity without forming the blame culture. In his view, the painful situations compel development, enhance concentration and strengthen the sense of collective identity.

The story is now shifted to Lusail where McLaren is expected to come up with what Stella termed as the best possible car in order to make both drivers able to fight to become the female world champions. The team is sure that its patience and the allegiance to the principles will be paid on the track as the pressure increases. It is a firm commitment, an equal treatment, the title ends up not lost on two sales.

Follow us on Zeroto30s social channels:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeroto30s/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeroto30s

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeroto30s

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zeroto30s