McLaren receive firm team order instruction to defeat Max Verstappen to F1 title

Ralf Schumacher has told McLaren it must be prepared to implement team orders against Oscar Piastri in order to defeat Max Verstappen to the F1 crown in Abu Dhabi.

Both Verstappen and Piastri enter the finale with a points deficit to Lando Norris, with 408 points playing 396, and 392, respectively. 

Should Norris finish on the podium at Yas Marina, he will be world champion regardless of what Verstappen or Piastri do, with Verstappen requiring at least a podium, with a win for the current champion meaning Norris must be third. Fourth would give Verstappen the title. 

As for Piastri, his 16-point disadvantage can be overcome by winning the race if Norris is sixth or lower, with only a top-two finish keeping the Australian's hopes alive.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella has indicated that the team will not impose team orders for as long as both drivers remain in contention, with this creating an interesting scenario.

If in the closing stages of the race, Verstappen is leading from Piastri in second and Norris in fourth, this result would give Verstappen the title, with McLaren CEO Zak Brown recently explaining he would rather lose the title to Verstappen than not be fair to either of his drivers.

But should Piastri fall back to let Norris through for third, the Briton would be champion. 

Schumacher, a six-time grand prix winner, believes that McLaren must lay down the law to Piastri, and be prepared to implement it. 

"The first thing they have to do is figure out how it could have come this far," Schumacher explained on Backstage Boxengasse of McLaren, allowing an interloper in an otherwise private title fight, making it to the final race.

"You then have to change that, and you have to agree on that in advance in case a scenario occurs again.

"You have to ask internally: 'Oscar, are you ready? Are you ready, if Lando Norris is in front of you both in qualifying and the race, to help him at the moment when Max Verstappen is close?'

"Is Oscar willing to do that? You have to discuss that beforehand and then act it on at the moment. I think that's the only way to beat someone like Max Verstappen. 

"Otherwise, he might just go home rubbing his hands as world champion."