McLaren lack of support for Lando Norris theory disputed: ‘They haven’t hampered him’

Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle disagrees with suggestions McLaren haven’t supported Lando Norris in his bid for this year’s world championship.

Norris is 62 points behind Max Verstappen with three rounds to go.

The 25-year-old is the only driver with a mathematical possibility of stopping Verstappen from securing his fourth F1 drivers’ title ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

One argument for Norris not being closer to Verstappen in the championship is the fact McLaren didn’t not fully back their star driver until the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September.

Norris lost one-point to Oscar Piastri in the Austria sprint race after the British driver dropped to third after attempting to pass Verstappen.

He was then forced to move over for Piastri in Hungary, giving the Australian his maiden F1 victory.

While in Monza, Piastri attacked Norris at the start of the race, leaving him vulnerable to Charles Leclerc.

Had those three scenarios gone in Norris’ favour - on top of some fortune in terms of incidents (Austria, USA and Mexico), he could have posed a much bigger threat in the title race.

However, speaking to Sky Sports News, Brundle feels McLaren have supported Norris and they can’t just “park a great talent” like Piastri by deploying team orders prematurely.

“Absolutely not,” Brundle said. “Lando was very clear he didn’t want to win a world championship because his teammate had to keep gifting him stuff here and there.

“McLaren knows that they can’t just park a great talent like Oscar Piastri as second in the team and have to yield every opportunity because it’s really hard psychologically to get over that and to keep your credibility reputation intact.”

McLaren are on course for their first F1 constructors’ title since 1998.

Brundle thinks McLaren will have learned a lot by their return to the front of the pecking order.

“I think McLaren has learned a bit as well this year, being front runners for the first time in a very, very long time,” he added.

“I don’t think… they certainly haven’t hampered Lando. I think they’ve given Lando every bit of support that he needed and a car that’s been very fast.”