F1 Abu Dhabi: Oscar Piastri confirms EXTRA McLaren meeting after Max Verstappen pole

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Qualification Abu Dhabi

Oscar Piastri confirms EXTRA McLaren meeting after Max Verstappen pole

McLaren may have to enforce team orders to win the F1 title

Originally written by Vincent Bruins. This version is a translation.

Saturday 6 December 2025 21:28

Oscar Piastri confirmed after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying that McLaren has arranged a team meeting to discuss their approach to the F1 season finale after Max Verstappen secured pole.

Is there a chance the team will impose orders on the Australian? He sincerely hopes not, especially since his championship bid remains very much alive.

There remain three championship contenders with one race left in 2025. Verstappen clocked the fastest time at the Yas Marina Circuit, yet he trails behind Lando Norris by 12 points.

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Norris, starting from second, must reach the podium—otherwise, Verstappen’s bid for his fifth consecutive title will falter. Piastri, sitting 16 points behind his teammate, will need an extra measure of luck.

Various narratives at McLaren

During media day in Abu Dhabi, both Norris and Piastri refrained from commenting on McLaren’s race strategy for the weekend. Team boss Andrea Stella mentioned that the drivers are free to race however they choose.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown, however, hinted that using team orders might be necessary. He remarked that they’d be crazy not to employ them if it meant giving either Norris or Piastri a better chance at the championship.

Even after qualifying, no final decision had been made regarding team orders, and another meeting is set to iron out all possible scenarios.

Piastri confirms post-pole meeting

When asked by Sky Sports F1 whether he planned to overtake Norris at the start, Piastri replied, “I haven’t thought that far ahead. Naturally, I want to win the championship, but it takes more than just a race win. We’ll see how it unfolds.”

He further revealed that an additional meeting will determine if he must follow team orders during the race. “We’ll discuss it soon. I don’t have a definite answer yet, but as long as neither Max nor Lando finishes ahead of me, I remain in the fight. It’s never an easy decision, but we will sort it out before the race.”

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F1 McLaren Oscar Piastri Abu Dhabi Grand Prix