Australian Oscar Piastri, of course, also remains in the hunt setting up a fascinating season finale.<\/p>\n
Both McLaren drivers were quizzed on how it will all play out, while a Mercedes rival sent a clear message when asked how he would act if he were in Piastri\u2019s shoes.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton signalled there could be big changes coming for his team at Ferrari and the driver at the centre of last week\u2019s drama opened up on the ugly online aftermath and how Max Verstappen supported him through it.<\/p>\n
Read on for the latest news ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Pit Talk!<\/p>\n
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THE ONE QUESTION LANDO WON\u2019T ASK PIASTRI<\/p>\n
Lando Norris rejected the idea of asking title rival and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to support him this weekend in the decisive season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix even if it is the only way he can beat Red Bull\u2019s Max Verstappen to the title.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old Briton, who holds a 12-point lead on four-time champion Verstappen and a 16-point advantage on Piastri, said he would welcome help in certain scenarios, but would not seek it — because it was not how he, personally, felt about it.<\/p>\n
He and Piastri made clear that McLaren had not discussed team orders for the race and would continue racing under \u2018papaya rules\u2019 that encourage them to race each other with equal team backing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I would ask for it because – and I don\u2019t know — it\u2019s up to Oscar, if he would allow it,\u201d Norris told reporters before Sunday\u2019s showdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessarily down to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the same if it\u2019s the other way around. Would I be willing to or not? Personally, I think I would — just because I feel like I\u2019m always like that and that\u2019s just how I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
MORE F1 NEWS<\/p>\n
BURNING Qs: Piastri\u2019s practice handicap; Verstappen\u2019s \u2018spectacular\u2019 secret weapon<\/a><\/p>\n ULTIMATE GUIDE: Everything you need to know for F1 finale<\/a><\/p>\n Brown and Piastri’s awkward moment | 00:17<\/p>\n The three drivers sat together answering questions of which some focused on the possibility that if Verstappen was leading with Piastri third and Norris fourth, it would mean the Dutchman took his record-equalling fifth consecutive title unless the two McLaren men swapped positions.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to ask it,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to ask it because I don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessarily a fair question, but at the same time if that\u2019s how it ends and Max wins, then well. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n \u201cCongrats to him and look forward to next year. It doesn\u2019t change anything. It doesn\u2019t change my life. He will deserve it over us.\u201d <\/p>\n Verstappen, who has won five of the last eight races, appeared to be the most relaxed of the trio while Norris seemed understandably tense and Piastri, who was deprived of a likely victory by bungled team strategy last weekend in Qatar, composed if edgy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not something we\u2019ve discussed,\u201d said the 24-year-old Australian, bidding to be his country\u2019s first champion since Alan Jones in 1980.<\/p>\n \u201cUntil I know what\u2019s kind of accepted, I don\u2019t really have an answer.\u201d <\/p>\n Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. (Photo by Clive Rose\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n McLaren team chief Andrea Stella said they had no plan to change their approach as they aim to secure the drivers\u2019 title and complete a first double since Mika Hakkinen in 1998.<\/p>\n \u201cI think for us it is important that we are in a condition to beat Verstappen with one of our drivers,\u201d said Stella, having guided the team a second consecutive constructors\u2019 title with months to spare.<\/p>\n Mercedes driver George Russell, meanwhile, said it would \u201cnot be acceptable\u201d for McLaren to ask Piastri to help Norris in the title-deciding race.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s acceptable or reasonable to ask a driver who\u2019s also in with a shot of a championship in the very last race to move over for your team-mate,\u201d Russell told reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cI think if it were, in other seasons gone by – let\u2019s just say Checo (Sergio Perez) and Max, or (Rubens) Barrichello and (Michael) Schumacher – when clearly one driver is the one going for the championship, and if in the last race, the guy who doesn\u2019t have a shot of winning the championship moves over, that is absolutely reasonable, and I think every single driver would do that.<\/p>\n \u201cBut for me, I don\u2019t think it would be fair at all. I think they both need to be given a shot. And if they lose out because of it, you just need to say the other guy did a better job, and that\u2019s racing.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s how it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE F1 NEWS<\/p>\n MIRACLES: The proof that Piastri can wipe haunted Aussie past<\/a><\/p>\n