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‘Where’s Oscar?’ Lando Norris team-mate missing from McLaren celebrations
The 2025 F1 season was historic for McLaren, as they won their first championship double since 1998, with Lando Norris becoming the drivers’ champion, the first since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. Norris secured the championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Max Verstappen.
In a team picture celebrating their success, which was posted on social media, Norris was posing with both championship trophies at McLaren’s headquarters in Woking. However, his teammate, Oscar Piastri, was notably missing from the photo, raising questions among fans.
Piastri’s absence from the celebration led to speculations about McLaren’s possible driver favoritism towards Norris. Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone even mentioned a situation at the Italian Grand Prix where Piastri was asked to let Norris pass after a pit stop mishap, influencing the title race by six points.
Despite the controversies, McLaren defended their decisions, emphasizing fairness and not wanting pit stop mishaps to affect one driver’s championship chances. Piastri’s absence in the team picture may have been due to various reasons, as the FIA prize giving gala in Uzbekistan and the upcoming winter break could have influenced his schedule.
