McLaren's Last F1 Races Will Involve a High-Stakes Game of Hot Potato.

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      Ouch, ouch, ooh, aahh! That’s the sound of Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Zak Brown, and Andrea Stella passing around a multi-million-dollar potato as they determine how Papa Rules will step in and potentially influence the outcome of the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship. Given the consistency that McLaren's leadership has displayed thus far, this is roughly what I envision happening on the pit stand for the remaining six races of the season.

      With the manufacturers’ championship already secured and tens of millions in FIA prize money ready to flow into Woking's accounts, the focus remains on the internal competition between Piastri and Norris. The Australian leads with 336 points, while the Brit is close behind at 314, quickly closing the gap due to solid performances on the track, a bit of luck, and notably, some “fairness-based” decisions from his team.

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      I’ve always appreciated the team’s policy of allowing its drivers to race against each other. I mentioned this to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown during a one-on-one interview over the F1 summer break, where I specifically asked, “It takes a lot of courage to put everything on the line and let them compete, what allows you to do that?” The answer to that and other questions remains under embargo and will be shared at a later date.

      However, since I posed that question, the pit wall has made some questionable decisions. Monza had me scratching my head intensely, as the team instructed Piastri to concede his position due to Norris’ poor pit stop. Through no fault of his own and simply due to his hard work and consistent driving, Piastri was told to be a team player, let Norris pass, and pay the price for what was ultimately the team’s mistake.

      “Oscar, this is a bit like Hungary last year. We pitted in this order for team reasons. Please let Lando pass, and you’re free to race,” the radio communication showed.

      Kym Illman via Getty Images

      Monza illustrated that McLaren’s view of fairness is somewhat unique and dangerously hints at a preference for one driver over the other. This preference surfaced again during Sunday’s race in Singapore when both papaya drivers had a collision at the start. To be fair, the contact wasn’t entirely Norris’ fault and was more a result of his interaction with Max Verstappen's Red Bull during Turn 3. However, based on the past expectations, Piastri quickly went to the radio to voice his concerns. Believing he would have successfully passed Norris if not for the contact, Piastri suggested the team instruct Norris to hand over the position. The team disagreed.

      “That’s not fair. I’m sorry, that’s not fair,” Piastri stated over the radio. “If he has to avoid another car by crashing into his teammate, then that’s a pretty poor job of avoiding.”

      The key point is that McLaren was correct not to intervene in Singapore; it was simply hard racing. However, from Piastri’s viewpoint, he has made sacrifices for the team and Norris in the past, including during instances where the team should have refrained from interference. Both drivers have now been conditioned to seek help from the team in such situations. It’s what they’ve come to expect.

      Mark Sutton via Getty Images

      The team allows their drivers to race, but only in a tightly controlled environment. The question now is: what will that environment look like now that the championship that funds the operations has been secured? Will McLaren adopt a more hands-off approach and stop sending mixed messages, or will it continue to make peculiar decisions in the name of fairness?

      It will be fascinating to see how things develop in Austin, as the fast, flowing circuit will play to the strengths of the MCL39 but may not favor Red Bull and Mercedes as much. Who will excel in the game of Hot Potato? Who will end up holding it the longest and feel the heat? So far, that has been Piastri, but I suspect that may change in the coming weeks. As Martin Brundle noted in his Monday morning column for Sky Sports, “the ground rules in F1’s title battle have changed.”

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