1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes McLaren can no
longer afford to treat both drivers equally as Max Verstappen
mounts his title comeback and must pick a "number one". With
Verstappen trailing Oscar Piastri by just 69 points following
back-to-back victories, the pressure is increasing on McLaren to
ensure one of its drivers wins the title. In Villeneuve's eyes,
McLaren must prioritise either Piastri or Lando Norris in the
championship fight, putting the latter in a difficult position.
"The difficult thing for Norris is that, if Verstappen gets closer
and closer, the team has to start favouring Piastri," Villeneuve
told OLBG . "He then has to become the number one. "Above all, we
are then talking about a title fight between two different teams.
It promises to be a tough battle, since we are talking about the
best driver in the world," he said, referring to Verstappen.
Verstappen has cruised to victory in the last two races, while
Norris failed to capitalise on Piastri crashing out in the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It has brought the Dutchman right back into
the mix for a fifth consecutive title, increasing the pressure on
both McLaren drivers. "Norris is in a predicament," added
Villeneuve. "Max's victory in Azerbaijan really put him back in the
title race, and he is not someone who succumbs under pressure. "In
fact, Verstappen will actually add to the pressure for both McLaren
drivers." Verstappen becomes the chaser For Verstappen, he is in
the unusual position of being the chasing driver in the title
fight, rather than the driver being chased. It is a scenario the
27-year-old is thriving in, with Villeneuve pinpointing that the
reigning world champion knows "exactly" where his rivals are. "He
is on McLaren's heels, knows exactly where they are and where he
needs to go," explained Villeneuve. "That makes it easy. "But when
you're ahead, you can't see what's happening behind you. Sometimes
you are tempted to look back, but you can't afford to." Red Bull
has made a remarkable turnaround since introducing its new floor in
Monza, which has transformed the RB21 and put Verstappen into the
title mix. "Red Bull has turned the tide and is delivering great
performances under pressure," praised Villeneuve. "They are real
fighters. Last year McLaren showed that they are not that yet, and
that is recognised internally."
longer afford to treat both drivers equally as Max Verstappen
mounts his title comeback and must pick a "number one". With
Verstappen trailing Oscar Piastri by just 69 points following
back-to-back victories, the pressure is increasing on McLaren to
ensure one of its drivers wins the title. In Villeneuve's eyes,
McLaren must prioritise either Piastri or Lando Norris in the
championship fight, putting the latter in a difficult position.
"The difficult thing for Norris is that, if Verstappen gets closer
and closer, the team has to start favouring Piastri," Villeneuve
told OLBG . "He then has to become the number one. "Above all, we
are then talking about a title fight between two different teams.
It promises to be a tough battle, since we are talking about the
best driver in the world," he said, referring to Verstappen.
Verstappen has cruised to victory in the last two races, while
Norris failed to capitalise on Piastri crashing out in the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It has brought the Dutchman right back into
the mix for a fifth consecutive title, increasing the pressure on
both McLaren drivers. "Norris is in a predicament," added
Villeneuve. "Max's victory in Azerbaijan really put him back in the
title race, and he is not someone who succumbs under pressure. "In
fact, Verstappen will actually add to the pressure for both McLaren
drivers." Verstappen becomes the chaser For Verstappen, he is in
the unusual position of being the chasing driver in the title
fight, rather than the driver being chased. It is a scenario the
27-year-old is thriving in, with Villeneuve pinpointing that the
reigning world champion knows "exactly" where his rivals are. "He
is on McLaren's heels, knows exactly where they are and where he
needs to go," explained Villeneuve. "That makes it easy. "But when
you're ahead, you can't see what's happening behind you. Sometimes
you are tempted to look back, but you can't afford to." Red Bull
has made a remarkable turnaround since introducing its new floor in
Monza, which has transformed the RB21 and put Verstappen into the
title mix. "Red Bull has turned the tide and is delivering great
performances under pressure," praised Villeneuve. "They are real
fighters. Last year McLaren showed that they are not that yet, and
that is recognised internally."
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