My point is that Mclaren could've decided midway through the season that one driver has more points and more wins and then backed him. Instead they decided to give both drivers an "equal" chance and in doing so let Verstappen stay as a legitimate contender for the championship. By trying to treat both drivers as the number 1 driver they've ended up treating both drivers as number 2 drivers. In that sense IMO it doesn't even matter if Mclaren had decided to back Norris from the start, Piastri would've been treated as a number 2 driver either way. That's why if I was Piastri I would be looking elsewhere because you can't trust Mclaren to have your back for the WDC. The only reason to stick with Mclaren is because they had a dominant car this year, but if next year their car isn't as dominant as this year then what's the point of sticking with them for 2027? You don't get the clearly fastest car and you don't get the full support of the team. One of the reasons Verstappen is in contention is because the team has his back completely. The team would move mountains if it meant that Max would win. Much like Verstappen Piastri probably could achieve more with a weaker car but with a team that 100% has his back.