P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lando Norris is in doubt that he and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri can go toe-to-toe for the remaining eight grands prix.
Lando Norris stated that he and Oscar Piastri are “99 per cent” free to compete for the F1 drivers’ title this season, despite concerns about McLaren possibly manipulating race outcomes with their drivers. The recent incident at the Italian Grand Prix, where Piastri was asked to concede position to Norris late in the race, raised questions about team orders. Piastri accepted the team’s decision, acknowledging that it is part of racing, but was unaware of the larger strategy related to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the time. McLaren’s move resulted in a standings shift, leaving Norris trailing by 31 points heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Despite criticisms of McLaren’s approach, Norris refuted claims that the team restricts fair competition and emphasized that he and Piastri can race without interference as long as standard rules like pit-stop priorities are followed. Norris reassured that, aside from specific circumstances like the incidents in Hungary and Monza, he and Piastri have been allowed to race freely throughout the season.
