Johnny Herbert warns McLaren must address the perception that Lando Norris is favored over Oscar Piastri. Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes McLaren is responsible for the perception that Lando Norris is favored over Oscar Piastri.

The perspective of a former driver

Since Monza, there have been several moments of tension within McLaren — subtle but noticeable, especially when listening to team radio. Oscar Piastri, in particular, expressed frustration after a wheel-to-wheel incident at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix involving Norris.

Norris’s on-track aggression had led to consequences that were later nullified by what happened at the start of the Sprint race in Texas. Throughout the season, McLaren’s decisions have prompted some insiders to suggest that the team may have shown a preference for Lando Norris in the championship duel with Oscar Piastri. According to former F1 driver Johnny Herbert, McLaren itself is entirely responsible for this perception.

“McLaren felt guilty about the technical retirement in the Netherlands,” Johnny Herbert told Adventure Gamers. “It was only for that reason that at Monza they asked Oscar Piastri to give back a position to Norris after the pit-stop error. Even Toto Wolff had said that the Papaya rules would eventually backfire because at some point, from a championship perspective, the team would have to make a choice. There should never be a team choice when it comes to a Drivers’ Championship. The narrative that Norris is McLaren’s favorite was created by McLaren itself, making decisions that favored him throughout the season, and it is McLaren that needs to resolve this situation. How? By not talking about it anymore and by avoiding getting involved.”