In a stunning display of teamwork, Lando Norris deliberately handed over a sprint race victory to his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in Qatar, going against direct team orders in the process.
Piastri made the most of his opportunity from the start, jumping ahead of George Russell who shared the front row. But it was what happened behind him that really made things interesting.
Throughout the race, Norris was clearly the fastest driver on track. He stayed right in Piastri’s DRS zone, creating a perfect defensive shield against Russell’s Mercedes, which had shown better pace than the McLaren.
It was a masterclass in teamwork – until the final lap.
That’s when Norris made his move, but not the one everyone expected. He radioed his team asking if it was the last lap, setting off alarm bells in the McLaren pit wall. They immediately told him to maintain position.
Norris had other ideas.
“I planned to do it since Brazil… just what I thought was best!” Norris revealed after the race, explaining his decision to gift the win to his rookie teammate.
The gesture was particularly meaningful for Piastri, who secured his first sprint victory in Formula 1. It’s also a clear sign of the strong relationship building between McLaren’s young driver pairing.
For Norris, who’s currently sitting second in the world championship, giving up the win showed there’s more to racing than just collecting trophies. Sometimes, it’s about building something bigger.
The move might have defied team orders, but it’s already being called one of the most sporting gestures we’ve seen in F1 this season.
