Guenther Steiner urges McLaren Racing to back Oscar Piastri for drivers championship, Lando Norris, Netflix Drive to Survive
“The danger here is that Max could step up. To get a McLaren driver to win at one stage, I think very soon, they have to make the decision to back the front driver, which is Oscar.”
Some fans claim that British powerhouse McLaren preferred British star Norris, but the team denies this.
Former F1 team boss Günther Steiner at CyberCon 2025 in Melbourne on Friday.Credit: Magnetic Shots
“I don’t think it has anything to do with nationality or favoritism in the team,” Steiner said.
“The McLaren team sometimes tries to overthink things and when you overthink it it becomes dangerous.
“Racing is racing and you want to win. McLaren is a team that employs hundreds of people and that means a lot because you don’t get many opportunities in your life to win two championships in one year.”
Loading
“They’re trying to make it almost too fair.
“Eventually one of them will be disappointed, and you have to make sure neither of them are disappointed.”
During the recent Singapore Grand Prix, Norris made contact with Piastri at the third corner of the opening lap as part of the overtake that led to the Brit finishing on the podium and Piastri losing the championship lead.
Immediately after the contact between the two, Piastri asked the McLaren team a pointed question: “So is it okay for Lando to move me out of the way or…? What’s going on there?” he said into his car radio.
“This isn’t fair. This isn’t fair.”
Piastri’s presence in the spotlight this season has impressed Steiner, who praised the mentorship of former Australian star Mark Webber, who has been Piastri’s manager since 2019.
Webber, who finished third in the drivers’ championship three times, has had issues with team policies throughout his career, particularly during his time with Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull.
Considering Piastri is only in his third season, “it’s surprising how calm and good-natured he is,” Steiner said.
“But he has a big advantage in a guy named Mark Webber,” Steiner explained.
Mark Webber at the Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix in September.Credit: Getty Images
“For me, hiring an experienced driver who had been through the same thing was one of the best decisions a driver has ever made.”
Australian driver Jack Doohan faced the cutthroat side of F1 when he was dropped by Alpine after six races.
“I hope he gets another opportunity because it wouldn’t be fair to judge him in the few races he’s competed in,” Steiner said.
News, results and expert analysis from the sports weekend are delivered every Monday. Sign up for our sports newsletter.
