Christian Horner Criticizes McLaren’s Team Orders Confusion Amid Oscar Piastri’s Rise

Christian Horner: Oscar Piastri giving McLaren challenges due to unclear team directives

Red Bull's Formula 1 chief Christian Horner comments on McLaren's approach to team orders, reports Lewis Larkam from Baku.

Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner has stated that Oscar Piastri is creating difficulties for McLaren due to the ambiguity regarding their position on team orders.

After talks held post-Italian Grand Prix at Monza, McLaren announced they would be introducing new team strategies for the rest of the season to enhance Lando Norris’s pursuit of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship.

McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, mentioned that the team would prioritize Norris instead of his teammate Piastri, who stated he would be "content to assist at this stage of the season."

The British team didn't need to use their new regulations at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Piastri secured the victory, and Norris impressively climbed back to fourth place after beginning in 15th following a surprising elimination in Q1. Meanwhile, Verstappen finished just behind Norris in fifth.

When questioned about McLaren's new strategy regarding team orders, Horner commented, "Typically, such matters are handled privately. I'm uncertain about the specifics of those regulations. There still appears to be some uncertainty."

In Baku, Norris reduced Verstappen’s lead to 59 points by cutting it down by three points. Meanwhile, Piastri trails the Dutch driver by 91 points and is 32 points behind his McLaren teammate.

Horner likened McLaren's current scenario to the time when Red Bull advanced Daniel Ricciardo to race beside four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in 2014.

Horner went on to say that Piastri is likely giving them trouble because he's securing victories and performing exceptionally well.

“When Daniel Ricciardo joined us, he was initially expected to be the second driver behind Sebastian Vettel. However, he ended up winning three races that season, while Sebastian didn’t win any.”

"Occasionally, it can give you a headache. Certainly, they brought Oscar on board with specific expectations, just as Mercedes likely did with George Russell and Ferrari presumably did with Carlos Sainz, aiming to have a leading talent alongside a supporting one."

"Naturally, when the second driver begins to outpace the first driver, it usually leads to complications."

Horner implied that McLaren might not have been completely honest with their drivers, potentially leading to a challenging situation for the team to handle.

"Teams function in various manners. Horner stated that when you possess a talent like Max Verstappen, you don't assign him a secondary role."

McLaren is compensating Lando Norris at a rate five times higher than Oscar Piastri, suggesting Norris is their primary driver and most valuable asset. Problems arise when there is a lack of transparency about these intentions from the start.

Managing such a situation is incredibly challenging because it divides the team and makes setting clear guidelines tough. While it's often evident who the top drivers are, failing to be transparent with them can lead to uncertainty.

"At the start of the season, everything is uncertain, but by the time you reach the midpoint, you need to choose a contender, particularly if you're competing for the championship."

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