Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Formula 1, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Motorsport
James Taylor
Topics: Formula 1, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Motorsport
The punishment that Lando Norris will face at McLaren has reportedly been 'leaked', and it could give Oscar Piastri a huge boost in the Formula 1 title battle.
Norris continued to narrow the gap on his teammate at the United States Grand Prix, reducing the deficit to just 14 points.
But the McLaren duo will be wary of Max Verstappen, who is in red-hot form, having won three of the last four races, and is now only 40 points adrift.
A complicating factor for McLaren will be how the team decides to manage its drivers in the remaining rounds.
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Throughout the season, they have followed their so-called 'papaya rules', meaning they are free to race each other, as long as they avoid contact.
However, at the Singapore Grand Prix in early October, Norris and Piastri banged wheels when the Briton made an ambitious overtake into turn three.
It prompted an angry response from Piastri over team radio, and McLaren boss Andrea Stella later confirmed that the team held a formal review into the incident.
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Ahead of the US Grand Prix, Norris revealed that he had been held responsible for what happened.
He said: "Things were reviewed and there will be repercussions for me until the end of the season.
"If you're clever, you'll see what it is.
"The team held me accountable for what happened, which I think is fair.
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"And, yeah, then we made progress from there with me understanding what the repercussions were for myself."
The comments sparked speculation among Formula 1 fans over what punishment Norris had been handed.
Despite that, the pair made contact again in Saturday's sprint race, with Piastri crashing into Norris, taking them both out of the race.
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Now, journalists throughout the paddock believe that McLaren have decided Piastri will be given priority in qualifying for the remainder of the season.
Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle said: "It will be something to do with a procedure, I imagine, that gives Piastri an upper hand over Norris.
"That’s the deal they will have had.”
Fellow Sky Sports pundit Ted Kravitz added: “So I’ve asked Mercedes, and they said, ‘We don’t know what the repercussions are’.
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"But I asked Red Bull, and they said, ‘We think the repercussions are they’re going to give Oscar Piastri the priority in all the qualifying sessions coming to the end of the season’.
“Oscar will be effectively treated in the qualifying sessions as the number one driver.”
French broadcaster Canal+ have also reported that Piastri will now get to choose whether he takes to the track before or after Norris in qualifying for the rest of the season.
With only five races remaining, and three drivers in contention for the title, the championship battle is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years.