McLaren teammates turn rivals as the fight for F1 supremacy intensifies — can they battle hard without blowing up the garage?
Despite an unpredictable weekend in Shanghai, Lando Norris still leads the Formula 1 championship. He holds an 8-point lead over Max Verstappen, 9 over George Russell, and 10 over his own teammate Oscar Piastri.
Yet it’s Oscar Piastri who’s looking like the real threat. After an impressive victory in China, the quiet Australian has reasserted himself as a genuine title contender.
If not for that rain-soaked off-track moment in Melbourne, Piastri could well be leading the championship himself.
So, as he crossed the finish line in Shanghai, did he feel like he was officially back in the title race? Or is it too early to be thinking about Abu Dhabi and championship glory?
“It’s definitely still very, very early,” Piastri said. “Whether the season’s short or long, you’ve got to make the most of the car you have at each race.”
“We saw last year how Verstappen built his lead early on by maximizing what he had. Obviously, he kept it up through the season, but that initial gap made a big difference. You never know when someone’s going to bring an upgrade or unlock more pace, so every opportunity counts.”
“The margins are tiny. Of course, we want to take advantage where we can – but no, I’m not thinking about the championship yet. As cliché as it sounds, it’s true: you win a title by taking it one race at a time.”
Is a Norris vs. Piastri Showdown Unavoidable?
As for Lando Norris, who many now see as the title favorite, is he already eyeing the crown? And more importantly, is he prepared for a possible intra-team battle with Piastri – something that could echo the fierce 2007 McLaren rivalry between Fernando Alonso and a rookie Lewis Hamilton?
Norris handled the question with a smile:
“Absolutely. I wasn’t watching F1 back then – what was it, 2007? Oh yeah, Lewis and Fernando! Just wait till he pits behind me – maybe I won’t move out of the pit box!” he joked, referencing the infamous Hungary incident. “Or we’ll have a little ‘Multi-21’ moment or something!”
But when asked if McLaren had set any team orders in China, Norris was clear:
“No, I think we’re ready. We were free to race in Shanghai. I didn’t have the pace to catch Oscar, and he drove really well. He deserved it. Same thing the weekend before. People loved to talk about those two laps in Melbourne when we held position, but overall, we were free to race.”
“I’m sure we’ll have closer battles at some point. We’re both excited – probably nervous and excited – just like the team. But we’re ready.”
Still, Norris acknowledged that rising tension is inevitable if the championship remains tight:
“Even though we work well together, get along and have fun, we both want to beat each other and prove who’s best. That’s just part of being a competitor. No need to hide it.”
“But we help each other, and I think we both performed better this weekend because of that. We’ll keep doing that.”
“For now, that dynamic works. But as Oscar said, anything can change fast. Other teams are already talking about upgrades. They can catch up quicker than people think – just like we did last year. So even while we race each other, we have to keep thinking about the bigger picture – about moving the whole team forward.”
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Civil War Brewing at McLaren: Norris vs Piastri
Civil War Brewing at McLaren: Norris vs Piastri