With 58 points still on the table across Qatar and Abu Dhabi – and Piastri tied with Max Verstappen on points – McLaren raised the possibility of prioritising Norris, who leads the standings by 24 points.
But Piastri shut the idea down immediately.
“We’ve had a very brief discussion, and the answer is no,” he told media in Qatar when asked if he would support Norris.
“I’m still equal on points with Max and have a decent shot at still winning it if things go my way.”
Piastri concedes his title hopes rely on more than just his own performance, but maintains the chance is real enough to fight for.
“I think there’s still a chance, and it’s played out that way a couple of times before, so I know it’s not impossible,” he said.
Even with his recent slump in form – six races without a podium since finishing third in Monza – the Australian remains focused on maximising his own opportunities and capitalising on any chaos ahead.
“Even [if] I have a perfect final two weekends, I can’t just rely on that, I need other things to go my way,” he added.
“So for me, I’m just going to try to have the best weekends I can, which I try to do every weekend, and see what happens.”
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Piastri also noted the unpredictable role rivals may play in the run-in.
With Verstappen’s dominant post-summer form threatening both McLaren drivers, Piastri admitted outside interference cut both ways.
“I’m not sure, to be honest. I’ve not really thought about it,” he said of the possibility of others disrupting the fight.
“I think every weekend there’s a challenger that’s there. Obviously Max in the second half of the season has been there more often than not, but we’ve seen Mercedes be quick at certain points, we’ve seen Ferrari get in the mix as well, maybe not quite as much as Max and Mercedes, but there’s always been people around.
“So, I think regardless of what the championship picture looks like for others, everyone is going out there to try and fight for wins and podiums. I’m not expecting anyone to make life easy.”
Despite the pressure, Piastri remains bullish about his approach at Lusail and Abu Dhabi as he tries to reel Norris back in.
The double disqualification for McLaren in Las Vegas kept him within striking distance, and he said he intended to make the most of it.
“Obviously there’s still a chance, and I want to try and finish the year on a high if I can,” he said, calling Qatar a track where he has historically performed well.
He also made his mindset for the title run-in clear:
“A hunter has to be ruthless, I guess. I’ll try my best… I’m just trying to get the best performance I can out of myself.”
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