Fans Urge McLaren to Maintain Equal Status for Norris and Piastri

A clear majority of Formula 1 fans have told McLaren to maintain its policy of treating Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as equals for the 2026 season. This verdict comes directly after Norris clinched his maiden drivers' title in a hard-fought 2025 season against his teammate, reinforcing team principal Andrea Stella's long-standing philosophy of fostering healthy internal competition.

Why it matters:

Driver hierarchy is a classic Formula 1 dilemma that often creates internal tension and can disrupt a team's championship aspirations. McLaren's success in 2025 was built on a foundation of equality, which pushed both drivers to extract maximum performance. Deviating from this winning formula now could risk upsetting the team's harmony and momentum as they aim to defend both titles.

The details:

• Overwhelming Verdict: According to a RacingNews365 poll, 67% of fans believe McLaren should continue treating its drivers as equals. Only 26.2% think the team should prioritize Piastri for his title challenge, while a mere 6.8% feel Norris should be designated the clear number one.
• A Season of Equality: The 2025 campaign served as the ultimate test of this policy, with both drivers in the title fight from the very first race. Despite several on-track clashes, including in Canada and Singapore, McLaren resisted implementing a strict number one driver, even at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
• Pragmatic Precedent: The team has shown it can be pragmatic, briefly prioritizing Norris in 2024 once Piastri was mathematically out of contention. However, its default and preferred strategy remains equal treatment, a stance now publicly backed by a significant portion of the F1 community.

What's next:

With a clear mandate from their fanbase, McLaren is expected to continue with its equal-driver strategy for 2026. The true challenge will be managing potential flashpoints if one driver establishes a significant championship advantage mid-season. All eyes will be on Piastri to see if he can elevate his performance to consistently challenge a newly-crowned champion Norris, setting the stage for another compelling intra-team battle.