Chandhok has this tip for McLaren: 'Assess Norris and Piastri after summer'

As the 2024 season ended with McLaren taking home the constructors' trophy, Max Verstappen and Red Bull will be chasing them down for it back during the 2025 Formula 1 season. F1 analyst Karun Chandhok has some advice for McLaren regarding Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Despite taking home the drivers' title, Verstappen and his team, Red Bull Racing, did not take home the constructors' championship title. On the flip side, McLaren took home the constructors' championship title, but their driver, Lando Norris, did not win the drivers' championship after battling Verstappen for most of the season. Many critics have weighed in and said that McLaren messed up by not prioritising Norris as he was battling Verstappen. Because of this, Chandhok has some advice for team boss Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown.

“I would give them joint equal #1 status until probably the summer break because I think they have both earned the rights to be equal number ones,” Chandhok said to Betway. He added, “Oscar’s on an upward trajectory. Lando has been the number one this year. There's no doubt about it. Lando has been the faster driver. But Oscar's had an amazing progression since his debut season, and he will carry on progressing".

Chandhok concluded, “So, I would give them equal #1 status. I will then get to the summer break and would assess the situation, and if they're in the championship fight, I would then be stronger about calling number one number two from the summer break onwards.”

This article was written in collaboration with Jeroen Immink.

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