A British reporter has criticised the allegedly 'disgusting' treatment Oscar Piastri has had to endure during his world title fight, describing it as the 'worst he's ever seen'.
Piastri heads into the Abu Dhabi season finale needing to finish inside the top two to stand any chance of securing a maiden championship.
Even then, the Australian's fate is not in his own hands.
A victory at the Yas Marina circuit would still require current leader and McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, to finish sixth or lower.
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Piastri also sits four points behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen, leaving him as the firm outsider heading into the weekend.
After a dominant start to the season, the Australian has suffered a drastic loss of form in recent months and is without a Grand Prix victory since August's Dutch Grand Prix.
There were signs of a late revival in Qatar, where Piastri arguably should have won before a McLaren strategic blunder meant he had to settle for second behind Verstappen.
That will not be much of a consolation for Piastri, as he watches his teammate edge closer to the world title.
This season has been a delicate balancing act for McLaren, who have been happy to let their drivers race, so long as they avoid collisions.
Apart from incidents on consecutive race weekends in Singapore and the United States, they have largely managed to maintain a harmonious relationship.
However, that has not stopped some reporters suggesting the team have prioritised Norris over Piastri.
A veteran UK reporter told CODE Sports: “It’s disgusting to see what’s happening. It’s like he’s fighting with one arm tied behind his back.
“He’s constantly being undermined by the team.”
And that reporter is not the only one to allege McLaren have been favouring Norris.
Former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve told CoinPoker: “Over the years, you’ve heard so many teams or drivers where one side of a team complains about conspiracies, and then it turns out that it was the other way around.
“Once you’re on the losing end or you’re in a bad spell, everything goes through your mind.
"And then you have people that talk to you saying, ‘Of course they’re trying to shaft you. Of course, they’re trying to bring you down.’
“Then you start believing it and because you believe it, you make it happen.”
With both McLaren drivers still in contention for the world title, the question of team orders has dominated much of the build-up to the season finale.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has confirmed Piastri will be given the opportunity to race and try to win the championship in Abu Dhabi.
However, Stella has refused to rule out ordering the Australian to let Norris through if it means avoiding handing Verstappen a record-equalling fifth consecutive crown.
Topics: Oscar Piastri, Formula 1, Lando Norris, McLaren, Motorsport
James Taylor