George Russell says McLaren asking Oscar Piastri to assist Lando Norris in F1 title decider would ‘not be acceptable’

George Russell says it would not be “acceptable or reasonable” for Oscar Piastri to be requested to assist his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris win the world championship at Formula 1’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Norris leads Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 12 factors on the high of the standings with Piastri 4 factors additional again going into the decider, that means all three can nonetheless win the title.

A situation might come up in Sunday’s race – probably if Verstappen have been to be main – the place Piastri’s personal championship hopes could be all however over, however he might assist Norris win the title by letting his team-mate via have been the Brit to be working behind him on monitor.

For a lot of the season the title contest seemed to be a two-horse race between Piastri and Norris, earlier than Verstappen surged again into competition after the summer season break.

Mercedes’ Russell, who’s fourth within the championship and the one driver apart from the title contenders to have gained a race this season, mentioned: “I do not assume it is acceptable or affordable to ask a driver who’s additionally in with a shot of a championship within the final race to maneuver over in your team-mate.

“I feel if it have been, in different seasons passed by – let’s simply say Checo (Sergio Perez) and Max, or (Rubens) Barrichello and (Michael) Schumacher – when clearly one driver is the one going for the championship, and if within the final race, the man who does not have a shot of successful the championship strikes over, that’s completely affordable, and I feel each single driver would try this.

“But for me, I do not assume it might be honest in any respect. I feel they each have to be given a shot. And in the event that they lose out due to it, you simply must say the opposite man did a greater job, and that is racing.

“That’s how it should be.”

Hamilton: Way simpler being the hunter than the hunted

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who misplaced out to Verstappen in a memorable battle for the 2021 title, mentioned that Norris was in a tough place as the motive force being “hunted”.

“It’s always way easier being the hunter. It’s so much easier to be the hunter,” mentioned the Ferrari driver.

“When you are defending it is a lot, a lot tougher. If you are forward on monitor and somebody’s catching you, it is a lot tougher to carry on versus somebody catching you and you should use them as a reference on a regular basis.

“It’s the same thing when you’ve got nothing to lose but everything to gain. When you have everything to lose and nothing to gain except for holding on position. So it’s much, much different.”

Asked whether or not he had any recommendation for his compatriot Norris, Hamilton replied: “I wouldn’t give anyone advice, they’re my competitors. I’d probably be telling them fibs.

“I’m not rooting for anyone however myself and this workforce.”

‘You attempt to put strain on’ – Alonso expects thoughts video games

The different former world champion on the present grid, Fernando Alonso, defined the type of thoughts video games he would anticipate to be performed by the title contenders this weekend.

“There’s always a little bit of games,” Alonso mentioned.

“When you see your opponents on track in first practice, second practice, media comments from today, you try to put the pressure on the other side.

“You meet on the drivers’ briefing, there’s a totally different physique language for certain for all three of them.”

Perhaps the obvious thoughts recreation that has performed out within the closing levels of the season has been a backwards and forwards, which noticed Verstappen declare he would have “easily” sealed the title by now had he been driving a McLaren, earlier than Norris dismissed it as “nonsense”.

“You never know,” Alonso mentioned of the talk. “It’s always a guess. Difficult to answer.

“I feel everyone knows that Max is an unimaginable driver and extracting the utmost from the automobile and among the races he has gained this 12 months, perhaps it was probably not as much as the automobile, it was as much as him. And additionally final 12 months.

“But you never know. In my case, we all will say that we can win the championship with the best car. We all have that self-confidence.”

The Spaniard, whose two championships got here in 2005 and 2006, additionally had a cheeky response when requested whether or not it might be the case that the perfect driver on the grid did not win the title this 12 months.

“This has been happening for the last 19 years now,” he mentioned. “So, it will be the 20th.”

Sky Sports F1’s stay Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday December 5
7am: F2 Practice
9am: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice One (session begins at 9.30am)*
10.55am: F2 Qualifying*
11.40am: Team Bosses’ Press Conference*
12.45pm: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice Two (session begins at 1pm)*
2.15pm: The F1 Show*

Saturday December 6
10.15am: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice Three (session begins at 11:30am)*
12.10pm: F2 Sprint*
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up*
2pm: ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING*
4pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*

Sunday December 7
9.10am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up*
1pm: THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX*
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP response*
4pm: Ted’s Notebook

*additionally on Sky Sports Main Event

The 2025 F1 season concludes with the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stay on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime