Oscar Piastri told to ignore McLaren team orders

F1 championship contender Oscar Piastri has been told to ignore McLaren team orders if they are issued at this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Australian driver dropped to third in the drivers' standings after last weekend's races in Qatar, with the pressure now on for he and team-mate Lando Norris to prevent reigning champion Max Verstappen from lifting the championship trophy on Sunday.

Norris leads the standings by 12 points and Piastri is only 16 behind him, but with Verstappen sandwiched between the driver duo, the potential for team orders to come into play have been confirmed by Zak Brown.

Despite the team denying earlier in the week that they were willing to order Piastri to let Norris by in order to win the title, the McLaren Racing CEO has since told Sky Sports: "If we get into the race and it's becoming pretty clear that one has a chance and the other doesn't, we're going to do what we can to win the drivers' championship.

"It would be crazy not to."

But Mercedes star George Russell has maintained his stance that McLaren should never be asking either driver to make such a sacrifice at this stage in the season, telling Piastri to 'ignore' the order.

Russell implores Piastri to fight for F1 title

With the title fight going down to the wire for the first time since the now infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, Piastri has heard plenty of convincing statements for both arguments, but only time will tell if he will give up track position and a chance to win the title on Sunday.

Speaking to The Independent on Thursday morning in Abu Dhabi, Russell maintained his view on this year's championship battle.

Asked what he would do if put in Piastri’s potentially difficult position, Russell joked: “It’s easier to unplug the radio!

“Obviously, if you’re in the team’s shoes, you have to [allow the pass]. But if you put yourself in the drivers’ shoes… at the end of the day, in two years’ time, if Lando’s champion and that’s how he won, no one is going to remember. No one is really going to care.

“But for myself, being a racer, I don’t think at this stage of the season and considering they both have a shot… how can you even discuss this in a morning meeting?”

F1 HEADLINES: McLaren pull out of Abu Dhabi media duties as driver slams ‘unacceptable’ team orders

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