Verstappen: "All that matters is the trophy" regarding McLaren F1 team orders debate

Defending Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen says he would have no issue with McLaren playing the team game to keep him from a fifth consecutive drivers' title, because "all that matters is the trophy".

Verstappen is facing a 12-point deficit to championship leader Lando Norris at the Yas Marina Circuit's season finale, with Oscar Piastri four points behind the Dutchman.

It means that in the event of a Verstappen win, Norris only needs to score a podium to guarantee a maiden world title. But, with gaps between teams expected to be small at Yas Marina, it does open up the scenario of Norris needing team-mate Piastri's help in case he is fourth or lower in the order towards the latter stages of Sunday's season closer.

While Norris and Piastri said the matter hadn't been discussed yet within McLaren, it is still expected that – if necessary Piastri – will likely help his team-mate out during the race once he no longer has a realistic pathway to the title himself.

Verstappen, who has been fighting the two McLarens largely by himself given team-mate Yuki Tsunoda's struggles to be in the mix, says he would have no issues if the Woking squad decided to play the team game to deny him a fifth world title.

"It's always better than not winning at all," Verstappen told reporters in his Dutch language media session Abu Dhabi. "When you're sitting at home 20 years from now, you'll still have that trophy on the cupboard. That's all that matters."

Lando Norris has a 12-point lead in the Formula 1 title race

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

When asked whether he believes Norris' claim that he won't be the one asking for team orders on Sunday, and whether Piastri will play ball, the Dutchman replied: "We'll see. It's impossible to predict that in advance. I can't look inside [Oscar's] head after everything that happened this season, so I really don't know."

That all assumes that Verstappen will do his part by winning the race, a prospect he isn't too convinced of given McLaren's supremacy in Qatar, where it only threw away a certain win for Piastri and podium for Norris with a botched strategy call.

"I don't think I'm saying anything weird when I'm saying they have had the best car," Verstappen explained.

"And I think this will be a good circuit for them as well. We just have to try and get the maximum out of our car. That's the only thing we can do, and then we have to hope we're close enough."