Guenther Steiner feels McLaren needs to prioritise Oscar Piastri over Lando Norris in the F1 championship battle

Former F1 boss Guenther Steiner shared his thoughts on McLaren's priorities for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Speaking to the media, Steiner stated that the Papayas should focus more on Piastri over Norris as the former has more points and is closer to winning the championship.

Piastri and Norris are currently locked in for the F1 world championship, and only 22 points separate the two drivers. Given the situation, both drivers cannot win the title as one of them has to take the fall.

Amid this, Steiner, who managed the Haas F1 team earlier, is of the opinion, that McLaren should push Oscar Piastri for the world championship over Lando Norris. Here's what he said:

"McLaren should support Oscar. He has got more points than Lando. I'm sorry, it's nothing against Lando."

Notably, Steiner's concern comes after Max Verstappen's recent surge in the championship, where he won two back-to-back races in Italy and Azerbaijan and finished in P2 in Singapore. As a result, he trimmed the gap to the McLaren drivers, and two more wins could bring him agonizingly closer to Piastri and Norris.

Moreover, Norris and Piastri fighting upfront, and in some cases taking each other out, would also benefit Verstappen, something McLaren would want to avoid. No wonder, Guenther Steiner shared an expert take on it.

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Former F1 driver prefers Lando Norris priority over Oscar Piastri

Former F1 driver, Juan Pablo Montoya believes McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri because the former has been with the Papayas for a longer period of time. Speaking to AS, here's what he said:

McLaren F1 Team driver #4 Lando Norris (GBR) stands on the podium after finishing third at the 2025 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix - Source: Getty

"We have to understand that in every team, there is always a favourite, even if they are all equal. That’s normal. It’s the one with the most history, the one who has been in the team the longest, the one who has done everything, [and that is] Lando. Oscar is doing a spectacular job and everything, but the one with the history and who has been more a part of McLaren is Lando."

Lando Norris joined McLaren as a rookie in 2019, and spend four seasons with the team before Oscar Piastri joined him at the Woking-based team. The ongoing 2025 season is Norris' seventh in the team, and Piastri's third.

Currently, Oscar Piastri is leading the championship with 336 points after 18 races and three sprints, whereas Lando Norris is in P2 with 314 points. Max Verstappen of Red Bull is in P3 with 273 points.

Edited by Sabyasachi Biswas