Piastri ready to 'help' Norris in title battle

Oscar Piastri says McLaren are fresh to usage him to thief Lando Norris’ title bid if nan circumstances originate astatine nan Singapore Grand Prix.

The Australian said his triumph successful Baku past play has “not really changed anything” successful McLaren’s approach.

“Lando is still up successful nan title and conscionable being honorable has a much realistic chance of winning nan championship,” Piastri said.

"If I americium successful a position to still triumph races, that’s what I want to do. But people if location are times I tin thief retired for Lando’s title bid, past I’ll beryllium happy to thief if I can.”

Norris, who hit Red Bull's Max Verstappen successful Baku contempt starting 9 places down him, heads into nan Singapore play 59 points down nan Dutchman.

Piastri is simply a further 32 points down Norris.

McLaren went into nan Azerbaijan Grand Prix saying they would “bias” their attack towards Norris, arsenic nan driver closest to title leader Verstappen.

In nan end, Piasti was incapable to thief because Norris was caught by a yellowish emblem successful qualifying and lined up only 15th connected nan grid. The Briton yet vanished 4th pinch Verstappen fifth.

Team main Andrea Stella had said McLaren’s attack would beryllium “reviewed” aft Baku.

Piastri, speaking connected media time successful Singapore earlier this weekend’s expansive prix, pointed to Norris’ assistance connected his measurement to triumph successful Baku arsenic an illustration of really McLaren want to spell racing.

Norris backed up Red Bull’s Sergio Perez connected nan thigh earlier Piastri made his pit extremity to guarantee his team-mate rejoined nan way still up of nan Mexican.

Piastri past overtook Charles Leclerc for nan lead 3 laps later and held disconnected nan Ferrari driver for nan remainder of nan title to win.

Piastri said: “Lando was decidedly a facet successful nan race. He helped pinch immoderate ‘tyre saving’ pinch Checo.”

But he said it was intolerable to talk really things mightiness create betwixt nan McLaren drivers successful Singapore.

Piastri said: “Until you get successful a circumstantial business it’s difficult to talk isolated from demonstrating it connected track.”

Verstappen has not won for 7 races arsenic Red Bull’s competitiveness has declined and said he was expecting a difficult play successful Singapore, wherever past twelvemonth he vanished 5th aft qualifying 11th.

“Our car is mostly not very bully connected bumps and kerbs and that’s what we person here,” Verstappen said.

“We person to effort and stabilise it. I americium assured we tin do a amended occupation than past twelvemonth but nan title has improved rather a bit. I americium decidedly targeting Q3 but let’s spot wherever we extremity up.”

Verstappen said that he was contented pinch a scheme from Red Bull to beforehand his title technologist Gianpiero Lambiase into a domiciled pinch wider responsibilities.

Following sporting head Jonathan Wheatley’s determination to move to Sauber/Audi successful 2025, Red Bull will beforehand Lambiase to caput of racing aft nan extremity of this season. He will proceed to beryllium Verstappen’s title technologist while taking connected his wider role.

Verstappen said: “He already did much than being conscionable my title engineer. It’s astir spreading nan load. For me, that’s fine.”