Ralf Schumacher has commented on rumors suggesting that McLaren is giving preferential treatment to Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri. Questions have circulated on social media about whether Zak Brown is prioritizing the British driver, who grew up within the Woking team, at the expense of the young Australian.
One thing is certain: tensions within McLaren are extremely high. The so-called “papaya rules” remain a variable factor that needs to be evaluated on a race-by-race basis.
Piastri has not won a race since Zandvoort, and since then, the #81 seems to have fallen into a spiral of mistakes from which he struggles to recover. Meanwhile, his main rival is making progress. Norris claimed victory at the Mexican GP with a dominant performance, allowing him to take the lead in the drivers’ championship by just one point over his teammate.
Is there really favoritism at McLaren? Ralf Schumacher rejects this theory. “That’s absolute nonsense, I’m sorry,” he said on the Sky Backstage Boxengasse podcast. “I can say only one thing, and I know it from a reliable source: Zak Brown doesn’t favor anyone. He doesn’t care who becomes world champion. What would McLaren gain by giving one of them an inferior car? Absolutely nothing.”
While Norris is celebrating, Oscar Piastri continues to struggle mentally. “There’s a sense, subconsciously, that he doesn’t feel entirely treated fairly at the moment,” Schumacher noted. “This is very dangerous: I know from personal experience how quickly thoughts like that can take root in a driver’s mind.”
The former German driver also observed that Mark Webber, Oscar Piastri’s manager, is not entirely happy with the situation. “This could be fatal, especially now that both drivers are still in contention for the championship.”
With just four races left in the season, how should McLaren handle the situation? “Ideally, they should aim to finish first and second in the drivers’ championship: that would be the best outcome for the whole team,” concluded Schumacher.
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