McLaren drivers discuss team orders: 'Rules are very very clear'

Lando Norris stormed to pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort but will have Max Verstappen breathing down his neck as Oscar Piastri could not put additional distance between the two cars. Norris has a slim chance of a World Championship fight for the Dutchman, but it seems Norris will not get any preference in Zandvoort if the chance of help occurs.

Norris, therefore, cannot count on Piastri playing a 'wingman' role in the Dutch Grand Prix to help him close down the gap on Verstappen. Piastri will, of course, be doing everything he can to overtake the Red Bull driver in Sunday's Grand Prix but he will continue to push against Norris should the opportunity arise.

"The rules are very very clear and haven't changed. We're free to race each other to try and win of course. We’re in a constructors championship fight and there's a lot at stake for the team but we've shown time and time again that we can race each other well, race each other cleanly and we're free to try and both win the race and that's not changed," Piastri explained after qualifying.

"Oscar said it well. We're free to race. There's never been any rules apart from don't crash into each other. That's literally the only rule. Otherwise, we've all been free to race. We've raced well in the past. So that's all good for us," Norris added.

The discussion arose after Norris had to give Piastri a place back in Hungary. That place was for the race win and cost Norris seven points in his World Championship pursuit.

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