Rosberg Critiques McLaren’s Equal Driver Policy: Is It Hurting Lando Norris?

Nico Rosberg weighs in on the McLaren team orders controversy

Nico Rosberg evaluates the rivalry between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Nico Rosberg asserts that McLaren's choice to allow their drivers to compete against each other is "damaging" Lando Norris.

However, he emphasized that Charles Leclerc’s victory for Ferrari at the F1 Italian Grand Prix was not necessarily a result of the choices made by McLaren's leadership.

Norris began the race in the lead but was passed by his teammate Oscar Piastri during the opening lap, which put him at a disadvantage. Consequently, he was unable to regain his position and missed an opportunity to significantly impact Max Verstappen's standing in the drivers' championship.

Former Formula 1 champion Rosberg examined McLaren's approach of treating both drivers equally for Sky Sports.

"Race with intensity, but ensure fairness," Rosberg stated.

Sources indicate that Lando believed Oscar went too far during their confrontation at Turn 4. Lando felt it wasn't a fair fight.

"Intense debates are expected to take place in the McLaren team area."

"It's quite challenging to handle. It's a delicate balance. You can put those regulations in writing, but did Oscar exceed the boundaries set by the Papaya guidelines?"

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

McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, was employed at Ferrari during the period when Michael Schumacher reigned supreme as the top driver.

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

“That philosophy is driven from the highest level. It originates with Zak Brown,” he stated.

"We operate with two top-tier drivers, reflecting McLaren's long-standing philosophy. Andrea is carrying out this strategy."

"They believed they had a chance of winning right up 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, which paid off and surprised their competitors."

"It's a matter concerning Lando and the drivers' championship. However, the team has chosen to continue with both drivers treated equally as No. 1, rather than giving Lando priority. That's the decision they've made, but it's certainly affecting Lando negatively."

Is McLaren unwilling to take risks?

Norris trails Verstappen by 62 points, with Verstappen still leading the drivers’ championship even after going through a stretch of poor performance.

Karun Chandhok commented that in order to compete for the drivers' championship, they must ensure Lando secures every possible point.

"Conversely, allowing them to compete freely will benefit Oscar. He had an excellent performance and was the quickest McLaren driver today."

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

Rosberg commented, “Lando is performing exceptionally. He’s driving impressively and his confidence is soaring.”

"It's encouraging that he senses 'I have an opportunity.' He remains the less favored competitor."

"Lando made an error at Turn 4. Positioned on the inside, he was in command but opted to be overly cautious."

Is McLaren overly cautious about taking chances?

Rosberg responded: "Too cautious? It's hard to determine. They were unexpectedly caught off guard today. It was unpredictable that Ferrari would succeed. I wouldn't label it that way based on today's events."

“Are they cautious? Not at all! Their drivers fiercely competed against each other, going head-to-head, and Lando nearly lost control while dueling with Oscar.”

Rosberg claimed that the McLarens' skirmish on the first lap didn't prevent them from winning the race.

"Not exactly. Oscar had an outstanding performance on the track. They maximized the potential of the car today," he commented.

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