Norris given McLaren 'number one driver' nod by F1 fans

F1 fans believe McLaren is right to prioritise Lando Norris over team-mate Oscar Piastri in this year's drivers' championship. 

With Red Bull's ongoing crisis, McLaren has an opportunity to win both drivers' and constructors' championships, with Norris currently the best placed to take the fight to Verstappen as he lies 62 points behind with grands prix and three sprints remaining. 

Team-mate Oscar Piastri is 106 behind Verstappen, but at the recent Italian GP, the Australian made a bold move on pole-sitter Norris on the opening lap, with the two turning a one-two on the grid into a two-three result by the chequered flag, with the Briton third. 

Norris took just eight points out of Verstappen in a difficult race for the world champion, who could only manage sixth as Red Bull continues to struggle for pace.

Given the difficulty Verstappen is facing, there is thought that McLaren should prioritise Norris to challenge for its first championship since Lewis Hamilton's 2008 drivers' crown. 

But the team has not imposed direct team orders on Piastri to play second fiddle to Norris, so in a recent poll, we simply asked: "Should McLaren favour Norris for the rest of the season?"

Over 2,150 votes were cast, with 57.45% of those believing McLaren should, but over 900 of the votes believed that Norris had to earn the right to finish ahead of Piastri and not be handed anything from his team-mate. 

Check out the full results below and be sure to check back and vote in the next RN365 poll!