McLaren haven’t revealed one crucial detail about Oscar Piastri team orders, it could help Red Bull

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McLaren have confirmed that they could implement team orders at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to ensure that Max Verstappen doesn’t take the title away from them. But they haven’t yet revealed the full scope of their plans.

McLaren have mapped out the scenarios to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in internal conversations this week. Norris is 16 points clear of his teammate, but Verstappen is only 12 behind.

The difficulty for McLaren is twofold. First, while Piastri is unlikely to win the title from here, he’s just about close enough for his dream to remain realistic.

And second, the team say that equal treatment is at the core of their philosophy, so there are fears that backing Norris could disrupt the harmony inside Woking.

Oscar Piastri will only receive team orders in final stint of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

A report from RacingNews365 NL reveals a crucial detail about McLaren’s plans for the weekend. There will be no team orders at the start of the race.

Ideally, McLaren will be hoping they aren’t required at any stage. But if Piastri ‘isn’t in a position to win the title’ during the final stint and the team are at risk of losing it altogether, they will feel their hand is forced.

For instance, if Verstappen is leading the race, Piastri is third and Norris is fourth, a swap would theoretically make sense.

While he will line up on the grid with ‘maximum freedom’, Piastri is expected to ‘volunteer’ his help if it becomes a necessity.

Why McLaren can’t wait until the final lap to impose team orders

For reference, last year’s Abu Dhabi GP was a one-stop race, as a majority of the 2025 events have been. In that sense, ‘final stint’ could cover 30 or more laps.

McLaren won’t want to interfere until the very end, when the result of the race appears set. That would be risky, though, given the possibility of a late safety car.

It makes sense for the team to conceal their strategy so they keep the Red Bull pit wall guessing.

Martin Brundle believes Piastri will be a team player this weekend, and nothing in his F1 past suggests otherwise.

It wouldn’t necessarily be an entirely selfless act, either. Jolyon Palmer says McLaren could side with Piastri if they have to make 50/50 calls next year, in recognition of his contribution.