With the Drivers’ Championship no longer in reach for Lando Norris, attention has shifted to Oscar Piastri’s role within McLaren as he seeks to avoid a permanent “number two” status. Bernie Collins, the former Aston Martin strategist, believes Piastri should use the remaining races to showcase his capabilities, establishing himself as an equal competitor. This season, McLaren implemented team orders favoring Norris in critical races, such as Hungary and Italy, due to his closer position in the standings against Max Verstappen. These decisions led to points losses for Piastri, who played a support role as the team attempted to maximize Norris’s chances against Red Bull.
The emergence of McLaren’s MCL38 car as a competitive contender amplified Norris’s role as the primary driver, making team orders more prominent. In Brazil, Piastri’s pole position in the Sprint race led to orders for him to yield to Norris, showing McLaren’s preference for Norris’s progress. However, with Verstappen’s dominance confirmed and Norris mathematically out of the title race, Collins argues that the last three races of the season present a valuable opportunity for Piastri to strengthen his position in the team and demonstrate he deserves equal treatment in 2025.
McLaren will also be conducting an in-depth review of the season’s missed opportunities and operational challenges. Collins points out that Norris’s potential for the title wasn’t just hampered by team orders but by a range of issues, including strategy errors and slow starts off the line. McLaren’s delayed upgrades, which only began to yield podiums after the Miami Grand Prix, also contributed to the gap in the standings. These elements will be a central part of McLaren’s offseason analysis, as the team assesses areas for improvement to prevent similar issues next year.
A key part of McLaren’s review process, as Collins describes, involves tracking and analyzing all points lost due to factors like pit strategy, driver performance, and reliability issues. For instance, they will examine races where points were dropped due to strategy missteps or driver errors, such as missed pit windows or poor communication between drivers and the pit wall. This comprehensive approach helps McLaren identify and address specific weaknesses, with the goal of eliminating them for the upcoming season. Collins emphasized that improving driver-pit wall trust and coordination will be crucial to the team’s success.
While the Drivers’ Championship may be out of reach, McLaren is still in the hunt for the Constructors’ Championship, holding a 36-point lead over Ferrari and a 13-point advantage over Red Bull. This championship battle provides McLaren a meaningful goal for the remainder of the season, as it gives the team a chance to solidify their status among the top teams. Looking forward, McLaren will aim to refine its operations, hoping for a stronger, more coordinated season in 2025 with Piastri and Norris as equal challengers at the start.
