Montoya drops Lando Norris contract claim in Oscar Piastri blow

Oscar Piastri no longer has only Lando Norris to worry about in the Drivers’ Championship hunt, with Max Verstappen having returned to the scene in an impressive comeback mission.

That serves as a stimulus for fresh debate over whether McLaren needs to transition Norris into a support role for teammate Piastri to get a first Drivers’ Championship over the line, the gap between them 14 points. But, former McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya suggested that McLaren is blocked contractually from doing that.

Lando Norris supporting Oscar Piastri: McLaren blocked via contract?

For much of F1 2025, it appeared that one of the McLaren drivers, Piastri or Norris, were destined to become World Champion for the first time. Yet, Piastri’s position in P1 – which was bolstered significantly by Norris’ retirement in Zandvoort – is increasingly under threat.

Norris has been whittling away Piastri’s lead, while a resurgent Verstappen has been taking chunks out of it. With five grands prix and two sprints remaining, Verstappen is now just 40 points behind Piastri and top spot, his hopes of winning a fifth straight World Championship revitalised.

With the Constructors’ crown secured at a canter for McLaren, the team’s reluctance to prioritise one driver, in an effort to see off the Verstappen threat, serves as a major talking point.

Yet, Montoya, a winner of three grands prix with McLaren, suggested that his former team is prevented from using that tactic, even if it wanted to, due to Norris’ contract.

“They can’t because, first of all, the drivers’ contracts say that as long as they are mathematically in the championship, they can’t give them team orders to help the other driver, but they can give them team orders to benefit the team,” Montoya told AS Colombia.

“So, what I’m saying is that they have to look at how they handle that politically internally.”

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris head-to-head in F1 2025

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

McLaren cannot justifiably call off Lando Norris title charge

Verstappen is increasingly being talked about as a serious title threat again, on impressive form and now just 40 points behind Piastri. So, how could Norris, only 14 points off top spot, be asked to wave the white flag and see out F1 2025 as Piastri’s rear gunner?

McLaren has made a continued point about fairness throughout this title battle, and dropping the guillotine on Norris at this stage would be the most emphatic U-turn on those principals imaginable.

If Norris was back on a Verstappen-type deficit, or third in the standings even, then McLaren would need to seriously consider its next move to ensure a title double. But, a gap of 14 points, with seven points-scoring opportunities remaining… Norris is still absolutely in this title fight.

To Montoya’s point, McLaren can continue to insist on clean racing between both drivers to ensure precious points are not squandered, but Norris has earned the right to continue his title charge. If it is over before the season is, then, he will need to have Piastri’s back.

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