Verstappen advises Piastri: Would “never accept” number 2 role

(Motorsport-Total.com) – Over the course of the 2024 Formula 1 season, McLaren has developed over the summer into the team that is challenging Red Bull for the constructors’ title. His team already has an acceptable points lead over Red Bull, but Lando Norris is still well behind in the drivers’ championship, 52 points behind Max Verstappen.

And although McLaren is sticking to its general approach of having two equally capable drivers, the growing realization that Norris could still claim his first world title has led the team to prioritize the Brit last month, always wanting to keep the situation on track Route dies required.

When championship leader Max Verstappen was asked in an interview with Motorsport.com for his opinion on McLaren’s team structure, the three-time Formula 1 world champion said Oscar Piastri was “too good” to only play a supporting role: “For me it is .” err definitely no [zweiter Fahrer] and if I were him, I would never accept that,” said Verstappen.

“For me it is of course easy to speak, because I have been in Formula 1 for ten years and for Oscar it is the second season, so it is always difficult to speak out. But he is simply a great Formula 1 driver who doesn’t deserve to give up victories and positions and play second fiddle just because that’s what’s asked of him.

Norris: Don’t want to get the World Cup for free

Under the changed approach, McLaren would likely have swapped positions at Monza when Piastri and Norris finished second and third respectively, but the team has always made it clear that Piastri would not be allowed to give up race wins for Norris. Norris has also stated that he does not want the championship to be handed to him on a silver platter.

“If a driver does better than me and performs, I have to do a better job, so I don’t want to take that away from anyone,” says Norris. “I don’t want anyone to give me a championship either. Yes, it would be great to have a championship and in the short term you feel great, but I don’t think in the long term you would be proud of it.”

“I will win the championship by beating Max, beating my competitors and proving that I am the best on the track.”

Verstappen on McLaren: The best driver duo?

Verstappen praises McLaren for its rapid development over the past 18 months and for the fact that Norris and Piastri are an impressive driver combination. When asked whether the duo is the best driver pairing among Red Bull’s competitors, he answers: “Yes, because they are very well coordinated and because they are both fast.”

“McLaren really put the right people in the right place, people who were already working on the team. The people there aren’t all new hires, apart from people like that.” [dem ehemaligen Red-Bull-Designer] Rob Marshall. But some employees have been given new tasks, and you can see how quickly this can happen.