F1 fans all agree on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri treatment as Andrea Stella sets out Qatar GP stance

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Oscar Piastri’s hopes of winning the 2025 Formula 1 title are fairly distant with two races to go. He’s hoping for a bit of a miracle.

All the momentum at McLaren is with Lando Norris, who has appeared on the podium at each of the last five races.

Piastri, on the other hand, hasn’t done so once. He’s gone from having a commanding drivers’ championship lead to virtually nothing overnight.

Now, team boss Andrea Stella has released his latest stance on the team’s papaya rules of engagement before the Qatar Grand Prix.

Norris and Piastri are working together on the papaya rules at every race, but it’s still hard to tell exactly how they would interpret those in an intense battle at the end of a title race.

McLaren are ‘struggling’ with Verstappen’s pressure, and it could be a problem for them in Qatar. Normally, having a two versus one situation is a dream. This time, it creates more room for error.

READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher tells McLaren what ‘must not happen’ now for Lando Norris to secure the F1 title

F1 fans agree that McLaren have treated Oscar Piastri as a number two driver all season

McLaren’s car is ‘compromised’ in Qatar since they are going to have to be a bit more conservative with their setup in a bid to avoid another disqualification.

It could shave a few tenths per lap from their lap time and put them in the clutches of the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes, but their car does suit the track well. It could save them.

But, fans are concerned about Piastri’s title charge, and took to F1 Oversteer’s Facebook to vent their frustration at how he has been treated since the summer break.

“Of course, [they] never said they must make Lando no.2 when Oscar [was] leading by 34 points after Zandvoort,” said one individual.

“When Oscar got 34 points clear, they should have made Lando number two. Now Oscar should just send it,” another agreed.

“McLaren moved him to number 2 in Monza,” replied another fan, who pinpointed the team orders after a botched pit stop as a crucial turning point.

Someone else has a radical idea for how the Aussie should approach the rest of the campaign: “If Oscar can’t win it, then he should help Verstappen (that’s what I would do).”

“McLaren need Oscar to be out of contention for Abu Dhabi,” added another fan.

And finally, one last person insists that McLaren just won’t ‘admit’ that Piastri is not their priority: “Has been number 2 all year, they just won’t admit it.”

READ MORE: Jenson Button has spotted Lando Norris starting to copy one of Max Verstappen’s best attributes

Which driver stands the best chance of winning the Qatar Grand Prix?

Someone out of Piastri and Verstappen is going to be very disappointed, or a major outsider heading into Abu Dhabi, because both of them can’t win on Sunday.

It means that if they’re close on track, it’s likely to get feisty between the two. It’s poised to be one of the most exciting Formula 1 races in recent history.

Norris can win the title in Qatar by outscoring Piastri and Verstappen by two points across the weekend, making it the most important race of his career so far.

If he does manage to come out on top, he’ll be the first new British champion since Jenson Button in 2009, and write his name in the history books forever.