Guenther Steiner predicts another McLaren crash as drivers' title fight heats up

Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has predicted another McLaren crash before the end of the season as the drivers’ title fight intensifies between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

With the constructors’ title secured for McLaren, the focus now turns to the drivers’ championship. With six race weekends remaining in the 2025 season, 22 points separate the two McLaren drivers, with Piastri currently leading. Four-time champion Max Verstappen also remains a threat as he closes in on Norris. The Dutchman sits 41 points behind Norris and 63 points behind Piastri.

The Woking outfit has opted to allow both drivers to race freely, with the one rule being that they keep it clean. While this has resulted in some tense radio exchanges, it has only led to one race-ending crash during the Canadian Grand Prix. 

Steiner has urged McLaren to now support Piastri in the drivers' championship as he is the current points leader, and has warned that if they do not choose to back one driver, another clash between the duo is highly likely.

When asked during The Red Flags Podcast if he thought another McLaren crash would happen this year during the 'Gas or Brake' segment of the show, the former Haas team chief explained: "I would say it's gas as well, and then they will take the decision to put team rules in."

He added: "It's not a certain if they put rules in that one has to win. That's why I'm not so convinced."

When asked what advice he would give McLaren CEO Zak Brown for the remainder of the season, Steiner added: "What I would do is I would say support Oscar to win the championship.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Andrea Diodato / NurPhoto via Getty Images

"Because they are coming close now. I mean, they had to race up to now, now you need to support it. We need to win the championship. Last year they didn't win it, the drivers'. But this year, if they continue like this, like Singapore is not a done deal. I mean, I still think they will win it because at some stage they will do what I just said, because otherwise the drivers will fall out between them. That happens."

Brown recently confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that both drivers would continue to be left to fight.

"And what we want to do is we want our two drivers, and Max, but we'd like to kind of get him out of there, to fight for the championship and just give them equal opportunity, equal equipment, which is what we're doing and may the best man win. That's what we wanna do.

"We'd like to not play a role if at all possible, but you get into, you know, Lando had a mechanical issue and things can happen in safety cars and things of that nature, but I think our goal is to just set Lando and Oscar up to be competing for the championship down to Abu Dhabi and may the best driver win."