The final rush begins
The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship resumes this weekend in the United States, with the highly anticipated round at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. McLaren arrives as the leader in the Constructors’ Championship, boasting the best car on track at the moment. However, among the drivers, Max Verstappen still holds a 52-point lead over Lando Norris and could afford to win the title by finishing second in the six remaining Grands Prix and three Sprint races.
For this reason, according to former McLaren driver and 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button, it’s time for the papaya team to set aside good feelings and start using Oscar Piastri as a true “support” for Lando Norris in every sense. Only then, according to the Briton, can the team hope to deny Max Verstappen a fourth consecutive title that seemed well within the Dutchman’s grasp just a few months ago.
Team orders necessary
“I like that there are no team orders because, as a driver, I hate them,” Jenson Button commented on Sky Sports F1’s podcast. “But if you want to win the World Championship, at some point, you have to favor one driver. Especially at this stage of the championship, when every single point is crucial for Lando. If he wants to become world champion in 2024, he needs every single point.” – he pointed out.
“This also means using Oscar to grab the fastest lap if Max has it during a race,” the Englishman suggested, providing a very concrete example that could prove decisive at the end of the season. “It’s a really tough situation for the drivers and the team, but you have to do it. That’s why Ferrari won so many titles with Michael Schumacher and why Sebastian Vettel won so many championships. Oscar has done an extraordinary job this year, but Lando has quite a few more points. If they want to win the Drivers’ Championship as well as the Constructors’ Championship, they will have to act this way.” – Jenson Button concluded.
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