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Ted Kravitz debunked the theory that favors Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri at McLaren. Speaking about the issue, the renowned F1 commentator believes that such 'theories don't stand up' in the current scenario as the two drivers are locked in for the crucial title battle.
Norris and Piastri are the front-runners in the battle for the 2025 F1 title, and only 22 points separate the two drivers after 18 races and three sprints. As a result, both drivers are deeply engaged in the fight and are not willing to give an inch to each other.
Amid this, rumors regarding McLaren favoring Lando Norris over nationality surfaced on the internet. McLaren, a team that hails from Woking, England, fields Norris, a driver from the same country. On the other hand, Piastri is from Australia.
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Consequently, the argument turned out to be believable for some. However, Kravitz, who hails from England, came out to debunk the theory. According to him, nationality cannot be the reason why a team would prefer one driver over another.
Speaking about the British Bias, here's what he said in The F1 Show:
"We don't see it," Kravitz stated. "These theories about whether it's nationality or anything else that people favour and other things, it just doesn't stand up over the balance of a season." (Via GPBlog)
Over the last few months, talks about McLaren favoring Norris over Piastri surfaced during races. This was reportedly evident in the recent Singapore GP, when the team decided not to intervene after the two drivers made contact on Lap 1.
Furthermore, an unofficial rule called Papaya Rules was in place, but officially, the drivers and team officials have debunked it. All in all, there are reports of McLaren favoring one driver over another, but there is no concrete proof to support it.
Former F1 driver believes McLaren prefers Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri for one reason
Former F1 driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, is of the opinion that McLaren prefers Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri because the former was with the team for a longer period. Speaking about this, here's what he said:
“A little bit, yes," Montoya told AS about McLaren. "A bit. We have to understand that in every team, there is always a favourite, even if they are all equal. That’s normal."
"It’s the one with the most history, the one who has been in the team the longest, the one who has done everything, [and that is] Lando.bOscar is doing a spectacular job and everything, but the one with the history and who has been more a part of McLaren is Lando," he further added.
Notably, Lando Norris has been with the Papayas since 2019, whereas Oscar Piastri joined the team in 2023. Currently, Oscar Piastri is leading the championship with 336 points, with seven wins, five poles, and 14 points.
Lando Norris is in P2 with 314, and he has five wins, four poles, and 14 podiums. Interestingly, Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, is also a championship contender, who is in P3 with 273 points.
