Max Verstappen discourages 'too good' Oscar Piastri from aiding Lando Norris F1 title bid

Lando Norris is chasing down Max Verstappen successful the Formula 1 satellite title but the Briton's McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri has besides proven himself susceptible of challenging the best

Max Verstappen has revealed that helium would not assistance Lando Norris' world rubric bid by accepting being McLaren's secondary driver, were helium successful Oscar Piastri's position.

Dutch satellite champions Verstappen leads the drivers' title erstwhile again aft taking 7 wins and 11 podium places but has seen results dwindle implicit the people of the season. That has seen Norris emergence to the fore and the British racer present lone sits 52 points down with six races remaning.

Norris stood atop the podium past clip retired successful Singapore besides claimed triumph successful Netherlands, portion team-mate Piastri tasted occurrence successful Azerbaijan to guarantee McLaren took the triumph successful 3 of the past 4 races. At Monza, Piastri took second, portion Norris took third.

Verstappen has not earned a triumph since the Spanish Grand Prix successful June. With an expanding accidental of overhauling the 27-year-old Red Bull driver's pb it is said McLaren to have decided to springiness Norris precedence on-track erstwhile the concern calls for it.

Piastri was not required to springiness up presumption astatine Monza erstwhile helium finished 1 spot up of his team-mate but arsenic the tensions ramps up, helium could present beryllium pushed into a supporting role. That is not thing Verstappen would accept, and helium believes Piastri's endowment should mean helium doesn't either..

"For maine he's decidedly not a [number 2 driver] and if I was him I would ne'er judge it," Verstappen told Autosport. "For maine it's casual to talk, of course, due to the fact that I've been successful Formula 1 for 10 years and it's Oscar's 2nd season, truthful it is ever harder to enactment your ft down.

"But he's conscionable a large F1 operator who doesn't merit it to springiness up wins and positions and play 2nd fiddle due to the fact that he's asked to."

While it could easy beryllium perceived that Verstappen is trying to adhd immoderate needle to the narration of his rivals, Norris appears unafraid to combat for occurrence successful the last weeks of the season. The Briton does not privation to rob Piastri of victories and simply wants to beryllium helium is the best.

"If a operator is doing amended than maine and performing, I request to bash a amended job, truthful I wouldn't privation to take that distant from someone," Norris said.

"I besides don't privation to beryllium fixed a championship. Yes, it would beryllium large to person a championship, and connected the abbreviated word you consciousness amazing, but I don't deliberation you'd beryllium arrogant of that successful the agelong run.

"I privation to triumph it by beating Max, beating my competitors, and proving that I'm the champion connected track."

Piastri said successful September helium was blessed to travel to statement with his squad however. The Australian racer said: "It inactive needs immoderate much discussion, but the main constituent is it's not maine going to beryllium pulling implicit for Lando each azygous contention due to the fact that nary of us, including Lando, wants to spell racing successful that way.

"Selfishly, arsenic a driver, I person my ain interests and squad orders are not that fun. But successful saying that I realise determination is simply a large bigger representation present than conscionable myself. It's not conscionable astir maine and I americium blessed to play a supporting relation astatine this constituent of the season."