Red Bull team principal Christian Horner assumes Lando Norris is the number one driver at McLaren because he is "paid five times more" than Oscar Piastri. (More Motorsport News)
Despite Norris being the leading driver in the drivers’ championship standings and the highest-paid racer in the McLa♛ren stable, it has been Piastri who has shone of late.
The Australian claimed his second career win in Baku last time out and has now ♕scored more points (135) in the European leg of the season than any other driver.
Piastri is now 32 points behind Norris in the standings,﷽ having taken five top two finishes in his last seven races for the British-based team.
Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, McLaren boss Andrea Stella revealed the team would favour Norris&🅰nbsp;in a bid to topple Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship.
However, Horner rebuffed McLaren's claim that they have two number one drivers, suggesti𒁃ng Norris is being paid significantly more than Piastri.
"Usually those are things that are dealt with behind closed doors, those things, so ꧙I'm not actual▨ly sure what those rules are," said Horner.
"There still seems🌳 to be some confusion 𓆉in them.
"Every team is different. Our rules of engagem✱ent are very clear and what the focus is until the end of🥂 the year.
"We've got a driver that's fighting for t🌜he world championship. It's a team sport. So it's very clear that Checo's job is to support Max until the end of the year.
"Diffeꦆrent teams operate different ways. When you've got an asse🐻t like Max Verstappen, you don't make him a No 2 driver.
"Lando Norris, they're paying five times what th𓂃ey pay Oscar, so I would assume he would be their number one driver, or their biggest asset.
"So, therefore, the confusion comes when y🅺ou're not up front from the beginning of what your plans are."
Thanks to McLaren'♎s success in Baku, the🍸y now have a 20-point lead over Red Bull in the constructor's championship.
The British-based team now lea💛d the standings for the first time since 2005, but their way to the🐻 top has not come without its problems.
During the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris initially refused to🍃 hand first place back to Piastri before team orders were eventually followed to give the Australian his maiden victory in the competition.
But with McLaren's comments about prioritising Norris for the last seven races of the season, Horner believes that decision should♔ have come much sooner.
"I think the other one is causing them headaches 👍because he [Piastri] is winning races, and he's doing a very good job," continued Horner.
"It was like when Danie༒l Ricciardo came to us in 2014.
"He was clearly meant to be the number two to Sebastian Vettel, and he won thre🌠e races that year to Sebastian's none. Sometimes it causes you a headache like that.
"For sure, they took Oscar with the expectation, as Mercedes probably did with George [Russell] and ꦫFerrari did with Carlos [Sainz], that you've got a prime asset and a support asset.
"And when the se🐻cond driver starts outperforming the first driver, that's when you tend to have a headache."
