F1 team provide driver bias proof after ‘favoritism’ claims

Piastri watching Verstappen talk after the Singapore GP — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

F1 team provide driver bias proof after ‘favoritism’ claims

McLaren are at the center of an F1 driver bias debate

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 8 October 2025 16:58

An F1 team have provided proof that they are favoring one of their drivers more than the other according to an F1 insider.

At last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, Mercedes star George Russell claimed his fifth career win, whilst Max Verstappen and Lando Norris joined him on the podium, as McLaren sealed the constructors'.

But it was the drama on lap one that has remained the hot topic long after the chequered flag was waved last Sunday.

With the team championship on the line, McLaren's driver duo started on the second and third row ahead of lights out, but on the first lap, Norris lunged down the inside of his team-mate, squeezing past Verstappen and making contact with Oscar Piastri's McLaren.

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Though the Brit only lightly knocked the drivers' championship leader, it meant that Norris finished on the podium and Piastri in P4, but what's worse is that it may have reset the rules for the rest of the season.

Do McLaren prefer Norris for F1 title?

But did McLaren favor Norris in Singapore?

In a review of the weekend's action on the Cameron Cc: YouTube channel F1 journalist and former team manager Peter Windsor was asked if he saw any proof of favoritism at the team last time out.

“Let me be clear. There's no way in the world McLaren would ever produce anything other than the two best possible cars for their two drivers. It's not a question of mechanical favoritism," Windsor clarified.

“But for the first time, we saw actually saw something I'd never seen before or heard something which was asking a driver when he thought the other car should stop. I've never heard that before in my life. Lando Norris deciding on what Oscar Piastri's pit strategy should be. I couldn't believe that they actually asked Lando to do that.

“I cannot remember that ever happening. So what that effectively means, well, Lando, you know, we're 100 per cent behind you now, mate. Your championship, your call, you're going to make calls now for when Oscar's going to stop. That's what happened in Singapore, you know. So why won't it happen again?

“And that to me is the first time we've seen real favoritism towards Lando.”

F1 McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Peter Windsor