Jenson Button believes McLaren must follow clear team orders in favor of Lando Norris for the rest of the F1 season to give themselves the best chance of overhauling Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship.
The exciting 2024 season resumes this weekend at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, live Sky Sports F1and Norris is aiming to make further inroads into Verstappen’s lead of 52 points.
Norris has outscored Verstappen in each of the previous four races, by a total of 26 points, but will need to increase his gains with six Grands Prix and three sprints remaining if he is to become world champion for the first time this year. and deny his Red Bull rival a fourth straight crown.
Button, the 2009 world champion and former McLaren driver, joined the latest edition. Sky Sports F1 Podcast To discuss the state of play in the drivers’ and constructors’ championship battles and preview an important Sprint weekend in two title races at the Circuit of the Americas.
And despite that Sky Sports The pundit admits he’s not a fan of team orders now or when he was a driver, and while praising McLaren’s stance of working as evenly as possible, he believes his old team will ultimately have to make direct calls to favor Norris over his team-mate. : Oscar Piastre during the run.
“I love that there are no team orders because as a racing driver you hate them,” Button told the podcast.
“But at some point, if you want to win the world championship, you have to love one driver.
“Especially at this point in the championship where every point is important right now. For Lando, if he has any chance of becoming world champion in 2024, he needs every point.
“And, you know, it’s even Oscar’s use for the fastest lap if Max has made it in the race.
“So it’s a really difficult situation for the driver, the team drivers and the team. But it has to happen. You know, that’s why Ferrari won so many world championships with Michael Schumacher. Somehow Vettel has become able to win so many world championships.
“I think sometimes you have to bite the bullet and you have to love one driver, especially at this point in the season. Oscar has done a great job this year, but Lando has more points and quite a few points.
“If the team wants to win, not only for constructors but also for drivers this year, that’s what has to happen.”
Button appreciates McLaren’s ‘tough call’
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Jenson Button tells us which car he would like to drive at the start and end of the 2024 season between McLaren and Red Bull.
Having resisted calls to favor Norris over Piastri at the start of the season following flashpoints in Hungary and Monza, the McLaren team boss Andrea Stella confirmed on the eve of Azerbaijan GP two races ago that Norris will be preferred in “50-50 calls”..
But Norris himself has made it clear that he would not want Piastre to concede race wins if he is running second to the Australian in the race.
Button added: “I like the way they go to the race, they let their drivers fight. That’s what we all want as sports fans. It’s nice to see both of their drivers get an equal chance.
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All the best moments from the Max Verstappen-Lando Norris title battle so far in 2024, with six race weekends to go.
“That’s always been the way. When I raced with Lewis (Hamilton), we were teammates at McLaren, we won six races in one year (2011) and three between us. What if one of us won them all? race, they could have won the world championship.
“McLaren could have won more world championships if they had team orders over the years. But I think the reason drivers want to race for that team is because they don’t have team orders and can get equal treatment from both sides.
“So it’s really complicated. From a fan perspective, it’s great that they don’t have team orders, and I like that. But if they want to win more World Cups, they will have to stop.”
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With just six races remaining in 2024 Formula 1, the season resumes with the United States Grand Prix in Austin from October 18-20, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month membership. no contract, cancel anytime
