Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has weighed in on the situation at McLaren, advising how they could have avoided the “headache” Oscar Piastri is now causing the team. Horner believes McLaren should have been upfront with both Piastri and Lando Norris much earlier in the season to prevent internal confusion and potential conflict.
The situation came to a head when McLaren revealed ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that they would prioritize Norris’ championship bid. This announcement came as Piastri has been outperforming expectations, taking his second F1 career victory in Baku, while Norris had to battle from the back to finish fourth. Despite Norris still being McLaren’s best bet for the Drivers’ title, Piastri’s strong performances have narrowed the gap between the two to just 32 points.
Horner likened the scenario to what Red Bull faced in 2014 when Daniel Ricciardo unexpectedly outshone four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, leading to internal challenges. He warned that when a team isn’t upfront about its hierarchy, tensions can arise when the “support” driver begins to outperform the presumed lead driver.
“I think the other one [Piastri] is causing them headaches because he’s winning races and he’s doing a very good job,” said Horner. “Sometimes it causes you a headache like that.”
Horner was particularly surprised that McLaren decided to publicly announce their intent to back Norris. He felt this should have been handled discreetly: “Usually those things are dealt with behind closed doors. I’m not actually sure what those rules are. There still seems confusion.”
Drawing from Red Bull’s approach, Horner highlighted the clear roles within his team, where Sergio Perez is expected to support Max Verstappen’s championship charge: “Our rules of engagement are very clear. We’ve got a driver that’s fighting for a World Championship. It’s a team sport, so it’s very clear Checo’s job is to support Max to the end of the year.”
Horner emphasized the importance of clarity within a team, suggesting that McLaren should have had more direct conversations with both Norris and Piastri early in the season. By not doing so, McLaren now faces a delicate situation, with both drivers vying for top honors: “It becomes a very difficult problem to manage because you split the team and the rules of engagement become very difficult.”
As McLaren continues its fight for the Constructors’ Championship and navigates the complexities of managing two top-tier drivers, Horner’s advice to resolve confusion and set clear expectations could prove critical.
