Steiner: At some stage McLaren need to let them race

Former Haas F1 team principal Steiner says the Woking team’s biggest challenge may now come from within, as the Norris-Piastri dynamic becomes central to the final four rounds.

McLaren’s one-two potential again turned into an internal debate over team orders and perceived favouritism. Norris dominated from pole at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, while teammate Oscar Piastri struggled for pace and tyre management, finishing fifth. The contrasting fortunes shifted the championship lead back to Norris for the first time since April, setting up a tense run-in against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Steiner, now a television pundit, told Lottoland he feels McLaren’s management under Andrea Stella and Zak Brown is overthinking driver equality. He said: “At some stage you need to let them race. I would let them race, because I still see the next two races as having enough of an advantage.”

He believes McLaren should delay any formal team orders until Verstappen is mathematically back in play: “If Max comes closer, which I don’t think he can, then at some point I would just say: ‘Hey guys, we need to make a decision. The guy who is in front from here onwards will be the one to go for the championship.’”

The former Haas boss also questioned McLaren’s handling of intra-team fairness this season, particularly moments like the United States Grand Prix, when Piastri was asked to move aside for Norris after a slow pit stop.

“Like when Oscar had to let Lando pass because Lando had a slow pit stop. But a slow pit stop is part of racing. At some stage you need to let them race,” Steiner said. “I think sometimes it was a little bit too fair. I know that ‘too fair’ doesn’t exist in life, but you know what I mean.”

Steiner suggested that McLaren’s attempts to treat both drivers equally may be counterproductive in a title fight. “Too fair means that Andrea and Zak tried to do their best to be fair but overthinking it doesn’t help,” he added.

The dynamic has been a defining feature of McLaren’s 2025 resurgence. Piastri’s early-season dominance gave way to Norris’s mid-year momentum swing, with the Briton winning three of the last four Grands Prix and reclaiming the lead in Mexico. Yet, with both drivers still mathematically in contention, managing the rivalry without internal damage has become Stella’s toughest balancing act.

Even with Norris in full control, Steiner warned that Red Bull and Verstappen remain dangerous, though their window for a comeback is closing fast: “You can never write Max completely off. but if everything goes as it should, he cannot win it anymore. He’s just too far back, and the McLarens at the moment are the better car.”

Red Bull’s mechanical reliability and race-day execution have improved since Laurent Mekies took charge, but Mexico made clear that McLaren’s consistency under pressure now sets the standard.

Verstappen’s third-place finish keeps him in distant contention, though Steiner’s assessment suggests the title may now hinge more on McLaren’s internal calls than on outside threats.

With four races to go, Norris leads Piastri and Verstappen into the final stretch of an extraordinary season. As Steiner put it: “At some stage you need to let them race!" And for McLaren, that moment may have arrived.