Jenson Button Urges McLaren to Prioritize Norris in Title Push Against Verstappen

Jenson Button shares his thoughts on McLaren team strategy: "Prioritizing one driver is essential"

"To secure a world championship victory, it becomes necessary at a certain juncture to prioritize one driver."

2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button is of the opinion that his previous team must prioritize Lando Norris to stand a chance against Max Verstappen in this year's championship race.

Before the upcoming United States Grand Prix this weekend, Norris trails Verstappen by 52 points, with six races remaining in the season.

The margin in points allows Verstappen to secure the title of a four-time F1 world champion by finishing in second place in all races, sprints included.

Should Verstappen clinch the championship this season, Norris is likely to regret several misguided strategy decisions from McLaren and the absence of clear directives from the team.

Norris had to concede victory to Oscar Piastri in Hungary following the pit stop phase.

At Monza, during their unrestricted competition, Piastri's bold maneuver into the second chicane exposed Norris to Leclerc's advances.

During a discussion on the McLaren team dynamics on the Sky F1 podcast, Button expressed his appreciation for the absence of team orders, noting how much racers despise them. However, he also pointed out that prioritizing one driver might be essential for securing a world championship victory.

"In the current stage of the championship, where each point is crucial, it's imperative for Lando to seize every opportunity to score. His aspirations of clinching the world championship in 2024 hinge on accumulating each possible point. This strategy could even involve leveraging Oscar to secure the fastest lap in a race, particularly if Max currently holds that position."

"It's quite a challenging scenario for a driver, for team drivers, and for the team itself. However, it's a necessary step. This is essentially why Ferrari achieved numerous world championships with Michael Schumacher, and similarly, how Vettel managed to secure multiple titles.

"In my opinion, there are moments when it's necessary to make a tough decision and support one driver over another, particularly at this stage in the season. Oscar has performed exceptionally well this year, yet Lando is ahead in terms of points, and not by a small margin. For the team to secure victory, both in the constructors' and drivers' championships this year, this is the strategy they'll have to adopt."

McLaren is currently ahead of Red Bull by a margin of 41 points in the constructors' championship, holding a significant advantage.

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