McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri brace for an intense F1 teammate rivalry as both chase long-term glory and world titles.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are well aware that a fierce internal battle is brewing at McLaren. With both drivers delivering strong performances, comparisons are already being drawn to the high-stakes rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes nearly a decade ago.
At the Miami Grand Prix, the two were asked about the possibility of tensions escalating on track. Norris kept things brief, offering a cool, “Time will tell.” Piastri, however, was more forthcoming about what lies ahead.
“We both know where our strengths are,” said the young Australian. “We’ve always been close in performance. It’s going to be a great fight. There’ll be weekends when Lando is quicker, and weekends when I’m on top. We both understand the challenge.”
What’s clear is that both drivers have long-term ambitions with McLaren, and they know they’ll be pushing each other hard. “We both want to become world champions, that’s obvious,” Piastri added. “But it’s not about one shot at success, we’re thinking years down the line. That’s something the whole team keeps in mind.”
When asked if racing a teammate makes things more difficult, Piastri gave a nuanced answer. “In some ways, yes. In others, no. We know each other’s driving styles pretty well, our strengths, and maybe some weaknesses too.”
“That gives us more insight, but it works both ways. We’re in identical cars, which removes one variable, but it also creates new challenges. If we both have similar strengths and weaknesses, overtaking becomes really tricky.”
Given how hard it is to follow cars closely in modern F1, Piastri admitted that track position often decides the outcome. “Nine times out of ten, whoever starts ahead finishes ahead. So it’s tough. Then you’ve got pit strategy and team dynamics to consider. There are pros and cons.”
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