George Russell says McLaren should not implement team orders and opt against interfering in this Sunday’s F1 title-decider in Abu Dhabi.
McLaren’s Lando Norris leads the world championship by 12 points to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri is a further four points off in third place.
With Norris only needing a podium to secure his maiden title, it has been suggested that McLaren could instruct Piastri to allow Norris past, should the necessity arise, in Sunday’s race.
This would go against McLaren’s steadfast policy of fair treatment towards both drivers all season. Mercedes driver Russell, who could have a say at the top of the leaderboard come the chequered flag on Sunday, believes it is too late for McLaren to change their approach now.
“I think it would be unfair to either driver [Lando or Oscar],” Russell told The Independent and a small group of British journalists on Thursday morning in Abu Dhabi. “If Max wins, he deserves to win.
“If they’re in the position that Max is on course to win, and Oscar can allow Lando… I wouldn’t want to win a championship because my teammate has pulled over, especially if he’s been my rival that year.
“When it’s clearly someone who’s been a number two all season, I think that’s fine. I don’t think it’s right at this stage to do any team orders, you’ve just got to accept fate.”
Asked what he’d do if put in Piastri’s potentially difficult position, Russell joked: “It’s easier to unplug the radio!
“Obviously if you’re in the team’s shoes, you have to [allow the pass]. But if you put yourself in the drivers’ shoes… at the end of the day, in two years’ time, if Lando’s champion and that’s how he won, no-one is going to remember.
“No-one is really going to care. But for myself, being a racer, I don’t think at this stage of the season and considering they both have a shot… how can you even discuss this in a morning meeting?”
While Norris needs a top-three finish, anything less opens the door to Verstappen – previously 104 points off top spot this season – to seal his fifth consecutive title.
Piastri, however, needs to win the race and Norris to finish sixth or lower to win what now looks an unlikely world championship.
