Oscar Piastri is winning McLaren’s internal F1 battle with calm precision, leaving Lando Norris struggling to hold his mental edge.
As the 2025 Formula 1 season heats up, all eyes are on the quiet mental duel unfolding at McLaren between two very different drivers: Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Piastri, calm and composed, secured his third consecutive Grand Prix win on Sunday, taking a 16-point lead over his teammate and former championship frontrunner, Norris.
Meanwhile, Norris made headlines for his frustration, not at Piastri, but at reigning champion Max Verstappen, following a tense on-track battle. Piastri, by contrast, managed to overtake Verstappen with cool precision.
“I just had to be patient, wait for the right moment or make him react. That’s what I did,” Piastri said after the race.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes Norris’s recent outburst says a lot.
“I don’t know what’s going on with Lando. He used to be fierce in karting and junior series, but something’s shifted. Maybe he’s overthinking—too worried about losing points—and that’s making it worse,” Schumacher explained. “He’s gotten a bit of a reputation for being too soft, for leaving the door open. Piastri didn’t. He pressured Verstappen and made it stick.”
For four-time world champion Alain Prost, this is more than just racing—it’s a psychological battle, and right now, Piastri is coming out on top.
“Yes, racing is about talent and instincts,” Prost told L’Équipe, “but it’s also deeply mental.”
Prost, famously known as “The Professor” and remembered for his intense rivalry with Ayrton Senna, believes the psychological aspect of racing has only become more critical.
“It was already important in my day,” he said. “But today, everything is visible, shared, and dissected. That creates enormous pressure.”
“Some drivers fall into that trap. Others, wisely, keep things private. Oscar Piastri barely speaks off-track. We know very little about his personal life, and that’s not by accident.”
“He’s naturally reserved. He vanishes between races, and that helps him manage the pressure.”
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Piastri Outsmarts Norris in McLaren’s Mental Duel Piastri Outsmarts Norris in McLaren’s Mental Duel