Oscar Piastri make feelings clear about McLaren No.1 driver plan after Max Verstappen win

Oscar Piastri has asked his McLaren team to resist choosing a number one driver despite the rising threat of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman scored 23 points more than the Aussie over the United States Grand Prix weekend with victories in both the Sprint race and the Grand Prix.

Piastri and team-mate Lando Norris both crashed out of the Sprint and, although the Brit was second in the Grand Prix, the championship leader only managed fifth and lost significant ground. Verstappen has been in lethal form since Red Bull found a way to make his car more compliant and he is now a serious contender for a fifth consecutive drivers' title.

But when asked if he thinks now is the time for McLaren to pick a number one drivers to help them see off the Dutchman, Piastri made it clear he does not want his team to intervene. And he pointed out that such a choice would be difficult with only 14 points separating him and Norris at the top now.

Asked if he thinks now is the time for McLaren to choose a number one, Piastri replied: "I don't think so. We're still so incredibly tight and we've both said we want an opportunity to try and fight for the championship because we deserve it, so I think it's far too close to start picking one over the other."

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