New Delhi, Sep 13 : Despite McLaren urging his teammate Oscar Piastri to assist the British driver if needed, Lando Norris said he wants to strive to win the world title by merit.

Ahead of the crucial Azerbaijan Grand Prix, McLaren had taken a decisive step: they would focus their efforts on pushing Norris towards the world title, with Oscar Piastri, his rookie teammate, stepping back to support the team’s strategy.

Team principal Andrea Stella had been clear that McLaren would "bias" their operations toward Norris, yet they wanted to do so without compromising their integrity or sense of fairness.

For Norris, the prospect of team orders wasn’t something he took lightly. “I don’t want to be given a championship,” said Norris. “Yes, it would be great to have one, and in the short term you feel amazing, but I don’t think you'd be proud of that in the long run. It’s not how I want to win a championship.”

As Norris prepared to take on the streets of Baku, he sat 62 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the reigning champion. With eight races left, the gap felt vast, but not insurmountable. McLaren had clawed their way to just eight points behind Red Bull in the constructors' standings. But despite the team’s decision to back Norris, the British driver made it clear he wanted to win on merit.

“I want to win it by fighting against Max, beating my competitors and proving I’m the best on track,” he said. “That’s how I want to race.”

For Piastri, 23, the situation was delicate. The young Australian had shown incredible potential in his debut season, securing crucial points for McLaren. But as the team’s hopes shifted towards Norris, Piastri found himself in a supporting role—one he had agreed to, though not without some hesitation.

“The team have asked me to help out, and I’ve said for the last few races that if I was asked, then I would,” Piastri explained. “But naturally, as a driver, it’s never an easy thing or a simple thing to agree to.”