McLaren Told to Enforce Strict Team Orders to Stop Verstappen’s Title Charge in Abu Dhabi.
As Formula 1 heads into the decisive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the pressure on McLaren is reaching its peak. With three drivers still mathematically capable of winning the championship — Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri — the British team faces a strategic dilemma unlike anything they’ve dealt with this season. While McLaren has publicly insisted it will not impose team orders as long as both of its drivers remain in contention, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes the team must be ready to abandon that philosophy if it wants to stop Verstappen from snatching the crown.
The points situation heading into the season finale makes the stakes unmistakably clear. Norris leads the standings with 408 points, ahead of Verstappen on 396 and Piastri on 392. For Norris, the equation is simple: finish on the podium, and the championship is his, no matter what Verstappen or Piastri achieve. For Verstappen, the task is more complicated. He must at least finish on the podium, and a victory would require Norris to place third or lower. In the event that Verstappen wins and Norris ends up fourth, the Dutchman would claim yet another world title.
Piastri’s route to the championship is the narrowest. The young Australian needs to win the race outright — and only has a chance if Norris finishes sixth or worse. A second-place finish would keep him mathematically alive only if Norris drops far enough down the order to lose his points advantage.
These possibilities create a scenario where Norris, despite leading comfortably, could still lose the championship if circumstances turn against him. And it’s this exact situation that Schumacher warns McLaren must plan for.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has made it clear on several occasions that the team does not intend to issue team orders while both drivers are still mathematically in the title fight. This means that, until one driver no longer has a chance at the championship, McLaren will allow Piastri and Norris to race freely. Stella believes this approach respects both drivers and maintains the integrity of the team’s competitive spirit.
However, Schumacher argues that such an idealistic approach may cost McLaren the championship, especially when dealing with a strategic and relentless competitor like Verstappen. Speaking on Backstage Boxengasse, he said McLaren must not hesitate to control its drivers’ positions if doing so can secure Norris the title. According to him, the team should have already evaluated how it allowed Verstappen — an outside challenger in a battle that was primarily between Norris and Piastri earlier in the season — to remain so close in the standings heading into the final race.
Schumacher believes the team must have a frank conversation with Piastri before Sunday. In his view, McLaren should ask Piastri whether he is willing to support Norris if the situation demands it — particularly if Verstappen becomes a threat in the closing laps. “You need to discuss this ahead of time,” he stressed, explaining that such scenarios are too high-stakes to negotiate during the race.
He further argued that relying only on fairness and equal treatment without considering the broader goal could hand Verstappen the title. If McLaren wants to win, he said, they must be willing to make tough decisions, even if it means sacrificing Piastri’s opportunity in favour of their lead driver.
The most dramatic scenario Schumacher highlighted involves Verstappen leading the race, Piastri in second, and Norris running fourth. In that situation, Verstappen would be crowned champion — unless Piastri allows Norris through to third. Such a team-order intervention could swing the championship back towards Norris. But under McLaren’s current policy, Piastri would be free to stay ahead, effectively helping Verstappen win the title.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has previously emphasized that he would prefer to lose a championship “the right way” rather than manipulate the results between his drivers. It’s a stance that has earned respect from fans but may be tested severely under race-ending pressure in Abu Dhabi.
Schumacher, however, insists that sentimentality can’t guide decisions at this level of competition. He warned that Verstappen, known for maximizing every opportunity, could walk away as world champion while McLaren is left regretting inaction. “Otherwise,” he said, “he’ll just go home rubbing his hands together as champion.”
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix now presents not only a sporting showdown but a test of McLaren’s philosophy, discipline, and willingness to make ruthless strategic decisions in the pursuit of glory. Whether they choose fairness or forcefulness could ultimately decide whether Lando Norris becomes world champion — or whether Max Verstappen once again claims the ultimate prize.
