Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri Have A Clear Stance in Their Battle for F1 Title

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have made their position clear in their fight for the Formula 1 world title.

The McLaren teammates are set to renew their rivalry this weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. Piastri currently holds the advantage in the world title fight, with a 31-point lead over his teammate.

So far, McLaren have allowed both drivers to race each other freely, with team orders kept to a minimum, except for the Italian Grand Prix. At Monza, Norris was leading on track, but Piastri was given the first pit stop to cover off the threat of an undercut from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Norris stopped a lap later, but he suffered an issue with his front left tyre, which meant that he re-joined behind his teammate. McLaren intervened and ordered the pair to swap back and Norris came home to finish second, ahead of Piastri.

McLarens racing at the Italian GP. Image: Joe Portlock / Stringer via Getty

The decision prompted debate among F1 fans, with many suggesting that team orders could define their title fight.

But those concerns were dismissed by Norris, when he spoke to the media ahead of this weekend's race.

He said: "For 99 per cent of things, of course. How things look, because of something that happened [at Monza], gives everyone a very different opinion or oversight on things.

"But if you make it as simple, and it's kind of how we did it, as happened in Hungary last year, which was a very similar thing, that the driver in the lead has priority in a pit-stop sequence, and that's exactly what we were entering [at Monza], then things don't change.

"But the fact is, as soon as we re-established the positions, Oscar could race me freely. He still had the advantage of starting on my gearbox and trying to race me, so he still gained overall. But otherwise, we've been free to race every time."

Lando Norris arrives in Baku. Image: Kym Illman / Contributor via Getty

Norris defended McLaren's handling of the situation, arguing that they did the right thing at the Italian Grand Prix.

But not everyone in the paddock agreed, including four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

Norris added: "It's just that in one lap of a pit sequence, the lead driver always has priority. That's how it's always been, and how it will continue to be. Otherwise, like we said, we're free to race."

With just eight races remaining in the season, Norris will be desperate to close the gap to Piastri.

Last year in Baku, the Englishman fought back from fifteenth on the grid to finish fourth., but it was Piastri who claimed victory.