Jolyon Palmer condemns McLaren’s ‘stupid’ radio messages to Lando Norris amid Oscar Piastri title battle

Follow us on Google Discover

McLaren have asked Lando Norris to help teammate Oscar Piastri multiple times during their F1 title battle. The trend has drawn criticism from F1TV pundit Jolyon Palmer.

In Italy, Norris allowed Piastri, who was running a place behind, to pit before him so he could protect his position. A slow stop for the British driver afterwards led to a controversial swap.

Norris refused the same request in Singapore, but offered Piastri a different form of assistance in Mexico. He gave feedback on whether the soft tyres were performing better than the mediums to ‘help the other side’.

The 25-year-old won the race easily, while Piastri fought back from seventh on the grid to fifth. The lead of the championship has changed hands ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but the gap is just one point.

Jolyon Palmer says Fernando Alonso would never have helped McLaren like Lando Norris

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer called the radio messages ‘a bit stupid’. He’s certain that Norris considered misleading his teammate.

In the end, he’s ‘honest’ enough that the policy might work, though the situation could change in the final four races, where Piastri struggling would represent a ‘great result’ for Norris’ title hopes.

Palmer believes that the ‘champions’ on the grid, like Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, would not have played ball. McLaren drivers continue to share data as Andrea Stella and Zak Brown insist on maintaining a team-first philosophy.

“He said softs? I would have said, ‘Oh this medium feels glorious!’ I guarantee you Lando thought about that in the moment,” Palmer told Tom Clarkson. “Why would you help him out?

“He’s leading the championship. You’re trying to beat him. Your whole purpose of being here this season is to beat this guy now, so don’t give him the good strategy.

“He’s just a very honest, nice guy isn’t he? Asking the question is a bit stupid as well. They’ve got to realise that, for Lando, if Piastri doesn’t pass Russell, that’s a great result.

“If Lando looks up and sees Oscar parked up on the side of the road with a power unit issue, that’s a great result for Lando. He doesn’t want the best for Oscar.

“There are so many drivers in that field who would not have given an honest answer. The McLaren guys are so harmonious, they’ve obviously got this way of working in the team that is open book. They are being very fair with each other.

“I would say most of the champions on that grid… imagine Aston Martin asking Fernando Alonso!”

Lando Norris knows he doesn’t need mind games to beat Oscar Piastri

Johnny Herbert says Norris looked more relaxed than ever in Mexico despite what’s at stake. Perhaps he’s backing himself to beat Piastri without using any underhand tactics.

The message from McLaren is that both drivers want to beat the best version of their teammates.

• READ MORE: McLaren radio messages are putting Lando Norris in an impossible position as he fights Oscar Piastri

Juan Pablo Montoya says the car suits Norris more than Piastri after McLaren’s upgrades, but doubts this was a deliberate choice. The 2019 debutant has been quicker in five out of six qualifying sessions since the summer break, dominating what had been an extremely close battle.

Deep down, Norris will feel he’s simply a better driver than Piastri when he’s at his peak. And the same is no doubt true of his Australian competitor.