Schumacher slams McLaren strategy, says Piastri must help Norris to stop Verstappen: ‘That's the only way to beat Max’

Both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, have a chance to claim the Formula 1 (F1) Driver Championship 2025 title in the final race at Abu Dhabi this weekend. Also, in contention is defending champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

Norris leads the standings, being 12 points ahead of Verstappen (396), while Piastri (392) is third. The equations are very clear for 26-year-old Norris of Britain. Win the race and win a maiden F1 championship.

F1 Drivers’ Championship scenarios

If Verstappen, who also won the previous Qatar Grand Prix, clinches the Abu Dhabi GP, then Norris must at least come third, else the Red Bull driver would win the championship.

Verstappen can win the championship by finishing second as well, but then Norris has to be eight or below.

Piastri must finish in the top two to have any chance of winning the title. The Australian can clinch the championship by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but then Norris has to finish at six or lower.

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In case two drivers finish level on points at the top, the tie is broken by a countback system that first looks at the number of wins, then second-place finishes, and then overall finishing positions.

Schumacher says McLaren must control title fight to stop Max

As both Norris and Piastri are from the same team, it gives McLaren an advantage to have one of them winning the championship, but team boss Andrea Stella has said that it will not impose team orders if both drivers are in contention.

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher doesn’t necessarily agree with that strategy. He feels McLaren must speak to Piastri, make the team rules clear and the driver must be ready to implement them.

Schumacher added that if that doesn’t happen, then Verstappen may emerge as the 2025 champion.

“The first thing they have to do is figure out how it could have come this far,” Schumacher said on Backstage Boxengasse while wondering how McLaren allowed their two drivers to be in contention till the final race.

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“You then have to change that, and you have to agree on that in advance in case a scenario occurs again.

“You have to ask internally: ‘Oscar, are you ready? Are you ready, if Lando Norris is in front of you both in qualifying and the race, to help him at the moment when Max Verstappen is close?’

“Is Oscar willing to do that? You have to discuss that beforehand and then act it on at the moment. I think that’s the only way to beat someone like Max Verstappen.

“Otherwise, he might just go home rubbing his hands as world champion.”