**Nico Rosberg Criticizes McLaren’s Driver Equality Policy: Is Lando Norris Paying the Price?**

Nico Rosberg’s Perspective on McLaren's Team Orders Controversy

Nico Rosberg Evaluates the Competition Between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Nico Rosberg claims that McLaren’s choice to allow their drivers to compete against each other is negatively impacting Lando Norris.

However, he emphasized that Charles Leclerc's victory for Ferrari in the F1 Italian Grand Prix was not necessarily a result of the decisions made by McLaren's management.

Norris began the race in the lead position but was quickly passed by his teammate, Oscar Piastri, during the initial lap, putting him at a disadvantage. As the race progressed, he was unable to regain his lead, losing the opportunity to significantly challenge Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship standings.

Former Formula 1 champion Rosberg provided an analysis on McLaren's strategy of treating both drivers equally for Sky Sports.

"Papaya must compete, but they need to do so with fairness," stated Rosberg.

Sources indicate that Lando believed Oscar exceeded the boundaries during the skirmish at Turn 4. He felt it was not a fair and just maneuver.

"Intense debates are expected within the McLaren team headquarters."

"It's really challenging to handle. It's a delicate balance. You can put those guidelines in writing, but did Oscar actually cross the line according to the Papaya rules?"

"I believe Oscar performed excellently. He vacated the area and executed his tasks superbly."

Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal, was employed at Ferrari during the period when Michael Schumacher was the clear top driver.

However, Rosberg asserts that he is not the one responsible for McLaren's intriguing approach of giving equal treatment to both drivers.

"This approach is mandated by the highest level. It originates with Zak Brown," he stated.

"We consider both of our drivers as top-tier, which has always been a core principle of McLaren. Andrea is currently implementing this strategy."

"They believed they were on track for victory until the final moments."

"The team allowed their drivers to compete against each other, making the race thrilling and entertaining. Ultimately, Ferrari took a gamble with their strategy and outsmarted them."

The issue revolves around Lando and the drivers' championship. The team has chosen to continue treating both drivers as equals, without giving Lando any special advantage. While that's their decision, it’s clear that this choice is negatively impacting Lando.

Is McLaren cautious about taking risks?

Norris trails Verstappen by 62 points, even though Verstappen tops the drivers’ standings despite experiencing a slump in performance.

Karun Chandhok stated that in order to compete for the drivers' championship, they must ensure Lando gets as many points as possible.

“Conversely, allowing them to compete freely has been beneficial for Oscar. He delivered an excellent performance and was the quickest McLaren driver today.

"In the long run, it's more advantageous to have Oscar as an ally."

Rosberg commented, “Lando is in great form. His driving skills are impressive, and his confidence is soaring.”

"It is encouraging that he senses 'I have an opportunity'. He remains the unlikely contender."

"Lando made an error at Turn 4. He was positioned on the inside and had control of the situation, but he acted too cautiously."

Is McLaren overly cautious about taking chances?

In response, Rosberg commented, "Calling them too risk-averse is hard to determine. Today, they were unexpectedly surprised. It was impossible to foresee that Ferrari's strategy would succeed. Based on today's events, I wouldn't label them as such."

“Risk-averse? Their drivers were allowed to battle intensely! They raced side by side, and Lando nearly lost control in the tussle with Oscar.”

Rosberg argued that the McLaren drivers' skirmish on the first lap didn't prevent them from winning the race.

"Not necessarily. Oscar performed exceptionally well in the race. They maximized the potential of the car today," he commented.

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