Oscar Piastri Speaks for the First Time on 2nd Class Treatment Meted Out by McLaren

Almost every team in Formula 1 has an intra-team hierarchy. Even if they don’t explicitly say it (like Helmut Marko did for Red Bull), it’s evident from their actions. In Red Bull, it’s Max Verstappen, and in Mercedes, it’s Lewis Hamilton (considering the last few races). In Ferrari, it’s Charles Leclerc, and in McLaren, is it Lando Norris? Whether or not that’s true, Oscar Piastri might sure feel it is, especially considering the second-class treatment he’s been getting since he joined the team. 

Picture this. It’s the Japanese GP weekend at Suzuka—a proper driver’s track. You’re Oscar Piastri, and you’ve never raced at Suzuka. Even so, you outqualify your experienced teammate, only to be on the receiving end of team orders on Sunday. Yes, you got your first podium, but no one would like to hear, “Into Turn 1, we’re going to swap positions to minimize time loss,” while trying to keep your teammate at bay. For the first time, though, the young Aussie has opened up about McLaren’s bias toward Norris.

Oscar Piastri stressed the importance of fair play

No driver likes to be on the receiving end of team orders, especially when they’re in an advantageous position. While that happened with Piastri in Suzuka, McLaren’s second-class treatment toward him didn’t start there. When the season started, McLaren was one of the worst teams on the grid. Fighting amongst the backmarkers wouldn’t have been how Piastri would’ve wanted to start his F1 career. But that’s how it played out, at least until the Austrian GP. Well, the British GP for him.

The Woking outfit introduced its major upgrade overhaul in Austria, but only on Norris’ MCL60. While he finished the race in P4, Piastri was struggling in P16. On the following weekend at Silverstone, both cars got the upgrades, and guess what happened? Norris finished P2, and Piastri finished P4. Since they’ve got their hands on the new and improved MCL60, the McLaren boys have been on top of their games. The thing is, every time McLaren has brought further upgrades, they’ve put them on Norris’ car first and then on Piastri’s the following weekend.

It happened even in Singapore—Norris qualified fourth and finished second, while Piastri qualified seventeenth and finished seventh. In a recent interview, though, the rookie gave his thoughts on this situation. He said, “Of course, it would be great if we could both have it, but I completely understand why Lando gets them.” Norris has been with the team for five years, and he’s obviously more comfortable with the car’s handling. Piastri continued, “But in saying that, we try and keep it as fair as we can. At Zandvoort, I had the new rear wing first, so [it’s important] that it is not all one-sided.”

Read More: Oscar Piastri Destroys Lando Norris’ Boastful Claims With Sheer Dominance in Zak Brown’s Presence

Despite McLaren’s evident favoritism toward Norris, Piastri has been staking his claim as well. McLaren has obviously realized that, and although it may not have given the Aussie priority on track, it sure did on the negotiation table.

McLaren has put its faith in Piastri for the long run

Piastri was preceded by his compatriot, Daniel Ricciardo, at McLaren. During his time here, Ricciardo just couldn’t get a handle on the car. And that’s something Piastri has done really well. Norris even mentioned how Piastri has challenged him way more than Ricciardo did. Piastri’s reasoning? He has a very good benchmark. After the Sprint at the Belgian GP, Piastri said,  “I’m happy with where I’m at driving-wise, there’s still a lot to improve, a lot to learn. I’ve got a very strong teammate to learn from who just by being a benchmark is a big help for me getting back up to speed.”

With how well Piastri has been doing, McLaren knew it’d be a matter of time before other teams started showing interest in him. The Woking squad decided to make its move. Although the rookie has a contract with McLaren until 2024, Zak Brown & Co. has extended it to 2026! After the announcement, Brown said, “[Piastri is] an incredible talent and an asset to the team, so it’s fantastic to be committing to each other in the long term. Oscar is already proving what he can do out on track and has been instrumental in the turnaround we’ve had so far this season. He’s fit into the team brilliantly and is really valued by the whole McLaren Racing family.”

Watch This Story: Is Oscar Piastri Already Justifying His Talent By Performing Better Than Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren?

Do you think McLaren is biased toward Lando Norris? Or does it play fair, like Oscar Piastri said?