oscar piastri, zak brown, lando norris, mclaren, graphic — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

McLaren confirm major change in title approach for Abu Dhabi showdown

Both of McLaren's drivers are in with a shot at the F1 crown.

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 5 December 2025 17:00

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has confirmed a major change in his F1 team's approach to this weekend's championship finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

McLaren's duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both in contention to win the title on Sunday, but neither driver had admitted when speaking to media this week that talks over team orders had taken place.

But speaking ahead of on-track action at the Abu Dhabi GP, Brown has said that the team are willing to make the call to help either Norris or Piastri to win the championship.

In a complete U-turn to the rest of the season in which Brown and McLaren have implemented 'papaya rules' to ensure both drivers have an equal shot at the title, Brown has admitted it would be 'crazy' not to prioritise one driver's race, if they are the only one that can defeat Max Verstappen on Sunday.

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Verstappen is currently 12 points behind Norris heading into the final race and Norris just needs to finish on the podium to claim the trophy, even if Verstappen wins the race.

And that has led to queries about what McLaren might do should Verstappen be running in first, Norris down in fourth and Piastri - who is 16 points behind Norris in the championship and still has a shot at glory himself - in third.

Zak Brown: McLaren being 'realistic' about F1 title fight

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports ahead of the action at the Yas Marina Circuit, Brown was asked whether the team would expect Piastri to yield to Norris in such a scenario.

"We're coming into the weekend knowing that they both have equal opportunity, even though there's obviously a point spread.

"You don't know how qualifying is going to go, reliability, but 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.

"We want to win the drivers' championship. So, we'll kind of see how the race plays out, but we're not going to not win the championship because we're trying to protect a third and a fourth or a sixth and a seventh, or however the situation may play out."

Brown's comments come in complete contrast to Norris during Thursday's media day, when he suggested that there would be no change in tactics from the team.

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