Jenson Button, the 2009 F1 world champion, believes that McLaren must start favoring Lando Norris in order to have a chance at dethroning Max Verstappen in this year’s world championship race.
As the United States Grand Prix approaches this weekend, Norris finds himself 52 points behind Verstappen with only six races left.
With such a points gap, Verstappen could secure the championship by finishing second in each race, including sprints, making him a four-time F1 world champion.
If Verstappen does win the championship, Norris will likely regret several poor strategy decisions and the lack of team orders at McLaren.
In Hungary, Norris had to relinquish the win to Oscar Piastri after a pit stop phase, and at Monza, an aggressive overtake by Piastri put Norris at risk of losing out to Leclerc.
Sharing his perspective on McLaren’s current situation, Button expressed on the Sky F1 podcast, “I love the absence of team orders as a racing driver, but to win a world championship, eventually, you need to support one driver.
“Especially now with the championship so close, every point is crucial for Lando if he wants a shot at the title in 2024. It may even involve utilizing Oscar to secure the fastest lap if Max has it in a race.”
Button emphasized, “It’s a difficult dilemma for the drivers, the team, and the team principal. But it’s necessary. That’s how Ferrari dominated with Michael Schumacher and how Vettel amassed multiple titles.
“Sometimes you have to make tough decisions and prioritize one driver, particularly at this stage of the season. Oscar has had a phenomenal season, but Lando has accumulated more points. If McLaren aims to win both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships this year, that’s the step they must take.”
McLaren currently holds a significant advantage over Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, with a 41-point gap separating the two teams.
