Mark Webber could now ask McLaren for one thing in contract talks after Oscar Piastri team orders

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Lando Norris took a critical victory in the Sprint ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to boost his slim championship hopes.

The British driver challenged his teammate Oscar Piastri but couldn’t get close enough to pass the Australian on pure pace.

Norris was let through by his teammate in the closing stages of the race to give him an extra point to add to his tally and close the gap to Max Verstappen.

He is now 44 points behind the Dutchman, who received a five-second penalty for breaching Virtual Safety Car rules.

Piastri had the pace to take victory in the Sprint but moved over to help the team and his teammate Norris while maintaining a one-two finish.

The Australian is managed by Mark Webber, who has been critical to Piastri’s rise into Formula 1. Karun Chandhok explained on Sky Sports F1 that the ex-F1 driver may be looking to negotiate something with McLaren after the race.

Karun Chandhok wondered if Mark Webber will still ‘negotiate the bonus’ for Oscar Piastri

McLaren have had a very quick car in recent races and have been the class of the field in Brazil, showing promising speed in race pace and over one lap.

Piastri has explained that he would let Norris through to help in the championship after McLaren have clumsily dealt with team orders this season.

A bonus for Piastri may be an extra incentive for the Australian to aid Norris’ championship challenge in the closing stages of the year.

Chandhok explained that Webber may want to negotiate a deal for his driver after Piastri’s selfless act in Brazil.

READ MORE: Peter Windsor shares the key ‘issues’ he’s spotted in Oscar Piastri’s McLaren onboard footage

He said: “Yeah, absolutely. He’s pulled another two on Verstappen, hasn’t he? That’s the important equation for him. I wonder if Mark Webber will still negotiate the bonus for Oscar Piastri for from that. He should.”

Sky Sports F1’s lead commentator David Croft then responded saying Webber may want to talk directly to Norris.

He added: “I’m sure he’ll go and see Lando Norris and have a little chat going, ‘my man deserved that one.’

There is no room for error for Norris in the championship battle

Norris made a small step in the right direction over the Sprint, taking three points away from Verstappen who eventually finished in fourth place.

There is still a lot of work to do for the British driver, with just four races left this season. Norris needs Verstappen to hit trouble and drop significant points.

He has lost a lot of points in recent races, taking a penalty at the United States Grand Prix before Norris finished second in Mexico, amid Verstappen’s driving standards controversy.

He will be helped by Verstappen’s five-place grid penalty for a power unit change ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.