Overview
- CEO Zak Brown confirmed McLaren will issue team orders if a call clearly secures the drivers’ crown, calling it a pragmatic move.
- Lando Norris leads the standings by 12 points over Max Verstappen and 16 over Oscar Piastri, meaning any podium would clinch the title for Norris.
- Friday practice put Norris fastest in both sessions, while Red Bull reported understeer and bouncing as Helmut Marko described the situation as not comfortable.
- Oscar Piastri missed FP1, placed 11th in FP2, and said small set-up details and more laps are needed to close the gap heading into qualifying.
- Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls said it will not coordinate to assist Verstappen, focusing instead on securing sixth in the constructors’ standings.