Oscar Piastri is said to have a ‘Lando Norris clause’ in his McLaren contract, according to former world champion Jacques Villeneuve, as we approach the end of the 2025 F1 season.
There are just two races (and a sprint) left in the 2025 campaign and three drivers – Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen – are still in contention to win this season’s world championship.
Norris’ lead is down to 24 points after an eventful race in Las Vegas, where both McLaren drivers were disqualified for excessive plank wear. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, picked up his sixth win of the season to keep his slim title hopes alive.
In total, there are a maximum of 58 points available with two races remaining in Qatar and Abu Dhabi – including one sprint race at next week’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Even though Norris’ grip on the title was weakened following Sunday’s race in Vegas, it would take an almighty fumble for the 26-year-old to drop down the pecking order at this stage.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for excessive skid block wear on both McLaren cars. Image credit: Getty
With all that being said, a clause in Oscar Piastri’s contract forbids McLaren from giving priority in a race to Norris, according to former world champion Jacques Villeneuve.
Speaking to CardPlayer, Villeneuve suggested Piastri is protected from his teammate. “They cannot give Lando priority over Oscar because of the contract. He has a contract that protects him,” he said earlier this year, as per Nine.com.
“As long as both drivers can win the championship, there won’t be team orders unless there’s something significantly big for the constructors’ title or if one of them is having an issue in a race like last year.”
As mentioned by the above report, what that likely means is that Piastri cannot be told to move aside for Norris, even if it would boost his own championship hopes.
“It’s a common contract clause up and down pitlane, although one only usually afforded to the No.1 driver,” says the report. “McLaren famously have a ‘No No.1’ policy.”
The race is Vegas was a huge boost to Max Verstappen’s title hopes. Image credit: Getty
FIA release statement after Norris and Piastri are disqualified from Las Vegas GP
Shortly after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for excessive skid block wear on both cars, the FIA released a lengthy statement on the reasoning for the disqualification.
It read: “The Stewards heard from the Team Principal, Team Sporting Director and Technical Director of McLaren Formula 1 Team, the FIA Single Seater Director, the FIA Single Seater Technical Director and the FIA Technical Delegate.
“The rear skids of Car 4 were measured and found to be below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations. The relevant measurements were RHS Front 8.88mm, RHS Rear 8.93mm. “The measuring device was a Mitutoyo Micrometre purchased in May 2025, and according to the manufacturer’s specifications, accurate to within 0.001 mm.
“The rear skids were re-measured in the presence of the Stewards and the three McLaren representatives, and those measurements confirmed that the skids did not comply with the regulations. The relevant measurements were even lower than those measured originally by the Technical Delegate
“Accordingly the Stewards determine that a breach of the Technical Regulations have occurred.
“The Stewards then heard submissions on penalty.
“The Team argued that mitigating circumstances existed in that there was additional and unexpected porpoising at this event, limited opportunity to test due to the weather on Day 1, and shortened practice sessions. Further the “Team submitted that the degree of the breach was lower than prior breaches of this regulation in 2025.
“The FIA argued that unfortunately there was no provision in the regulations or ir precedent for any penalty other than the usual penalty (i.e. disqualification). The FIA noted that it strongly held the view that the breach was unintentional and that there was not deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations.
“The Stewards also note the various decisions of the FIA International Court of Appeal which limit the ability to avoid disqualification for technical breaches.”
