Lando Norris defied team orders during the Qatar sprint race on Saturday, choosing to let his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri take the victory, despite being instructed to finish ahead of him. Norris, who had started the race from pole position, eased off in the final corner to allow Piastri to pass, ultimately finishing second behind him. “The team told me not to do it, but I thought I could get away with it and we did,” Norris said. He explained that he wasn’t focused on winning sprint races but rather on the bigger goal of winning races and the championship. Norris also clarified that he had made the decision to repay Piastri for sacrificing his own sprint victory in Brazil, saying, “I made my mind up in Brazil when it happened. I needed to do something to give it back.”
Piastri admitted that he was surprised by Norris’ decision, noting that he hadn’t expected his teammate to take such a risk with George Russell just half a second behind. Piastri added, “It just shows off our teamwork and the lack of egos within the team.” This act of team spirit continues a season where McLaren’s race strategies have often sparked conversation, such as when Norris and Piastri swapped positions in Hungary after a lengthy radio exchange.
While McLaren celebrated their teamwork, Russell, who finished third, was less than pleased with the strategy. He found the constant team coordination “pretty infuriating” and criticized Piastri for some of his late defensive moves, adding, “Hopefully we can have a proper race (on Sunday) rather than this team orders stuff.”
Meanwhile, Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was penalized for “driving unnecessarily slowly” during qualifying. Although he initially secured pole position, Verstappen was demoted after an incident with Russell, who had to take evasive action. As a result, Russell moved up to the front of the grid. The penalty did not come with a typical three-place drop, as both drivers were not on fast laps at the time of the incident.
With McLaren’s lead in the constructors’ championship growing to 30 points over Ferrari, the team looks poised to secure its first title in 26 years. However, Red Bull’s performance faltered, with Verstappen finishing eighth and Sergio Perez in last place after a pit stop to change his front wing.
