### McLaren Urges Norris Against Handing Piastri Sprint Win at Qatar GP

McLaren's Lando Norris was instructed multiple times not to gift teammate Oscar Piastri the victory in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race, due to concerns over the advancing threat from Mercedes' George Russell.

Norris finished second in the first race of the weekend at the Losail circuit and revealed that he had considered letting Piastri win as a gesture of gratitude. Piastri had previously helped Norris in the Brazilian Grand Prix, aiming to boost Norris' position in the championship standings against Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The McLaren drivers had qualified in first and third positions for the sprint race on Saturday evening. Norris communicated his plan to his race engineer, Will Joseph, prior to the race. However, Joseph repeatedly emphasized over the team radio that McLaren preferred the race to "finish in this order," with Norris maintaining his lead ahead of Piastri. The reason for this strategy was the minimal gap to George Russell, who had qualified just 0.063 seconds behind Norris.

In a discussion with Motorsport.com, Norris explained that the team had not formally discussed his plan, but he had made Joseph aware. He acknowledged that his engineer advised against the idea because the margin to Russell was too narrow to comfortably switch positions without jeopardizing their standing.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explained post-race to Sky Sports F1 that the radio messages were intended to alleviate pressure on Norris, who had been strategically positioning himself to give Piastri beneficial DRS (Drag Reduction System) to fend off Russell. Stella praised the collaboration and unity within the team, highlighting that such strategies strengthen their quest for the constructors' championship.

Stella also mentioned that the one point Piastri would have gained was not a significant factor in Norris's consideration. Piastri is currently just eight points ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in the battle for fourth place in the 2024 drivers' standings.

Norris's willingness to aid his teammate illustrated McLaren's values of fairness and sportsmanship, Stella remarked. Despite the team's nerves on the pitwall due to Russell's proximity, he noted that drivers often have better judgment of the situation during the race. Stella expressed pride in the drivers' ability to exhibit such teamwork, which he believes underpins McLaren's strength.