Norris needs to learn from Piastri and treat himself more kindly – Jake Boxall-Legge
In the past eight rounds of this season, Piastri has amassed 126 points, while Norris follows closely with 116. There’s room for debate over who genuinely deserved to win in Hungary; Piastri’s early stints were notably strong, but Norris made the decision tougher with an outstanding final stint. The disparity was clear, however, during the race at Spa.
The key differentiator between Piastri and Norris has been tyre management. With four more years of experience in managing his Pirelli tyres, Norris entered 2024 with a noticeable advantage in converting early management into blistering late-race speed. However, Piastri is catching up fast and is almost on par with his teammate in this area. Norris is aware of this shift.
McLaren should have secured more than two wins this season. The strategies have often leaned too much on either caution or recklessness, and the pace typically arrives too late in races to alter outcomes. Norris’s opportunities in Barcelona and Hungary slipped away due to poor starts, and his struggles continued at Spa when he took La Source wide, losing vital momentum.
Piastri, on the other hand, exudes assurance. He manages to separate his racing actions from his emotions, exemplified by his calm demeanor on team radio, which almost borders on dry humor. He acknowledges his mistakes and shows readiness to recover from them, while Norris tends to engage in self-criticism, which can further dampen his mood and create a negative cycle.
It’s evident that Piastri is absorbing lessons from Norris on how to maximize a tyre stint, and his outright pace is already competitive with his teammate’s. If this momentum carries into the summer break, Piastri could soon emerge as the leading driver.
For Norris to reaffirm his position as the team leader, he might benefit from some lessons from his younger teammate about self-compassion. Starting by refraining from labeling himself as ‘stupid’ would be a wise move.
McLaren must commit to its bold equal driver ethos – Filip Cleeren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, celebrate in Parc Ferme after locking out the front row
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
When Lando Norris faced the choice to return the lead to Oscar Piastri during the Hungarian Grand Prix or to defy team orders for personal victory, two potential outcomes emerged.
The first was the actual outcome, where Norris’s delayed swap diminished what could have been a clear 1-2 finish, while stripping him of the chance to retake Piastri.
The alternative would have seen Norris achieving his second grand prix win and denying Piastri his first, thereby reducing his points deficit to Max Verstappen by seven, trailing by 71 instead of 78 going into the summer break.
But at what potential cost? Doing so could have shattered the trust he has cultivated within the team over the past five years, jeopardizing his rapport with Piastri. These two elements could ultimately have far-reaching consequences far beyond just those seven points.
I mention this again as we have since raced one more time, and not much has altered.
Verstappen still enjoys a comfortable lead, and after Spa-Francorchamps, it seems overly optimistic to anticipate Norris replicating Verstappen’s early 2024 domination to shift the drivers’ championship dynamics.
McLaren is in the process of evolving into a championship contender, much like we’ve seen through various missteps in recent months. This evolution involves both the team and its drivers.
Norris has made several avoidable errors lately, which he has criticized himself for, yet he has demonstrated that he’s a very capable driver—albeit, one who requires a bit of refinement here and there.
Meanwhile, Piastri shines through by maintaining a level-headed approach, positioning himself as mentally stronger than Norris, despite having less experience. However, he too isn’t a complete package yet; his outstanding performance in only his second season raises questions about his potential ceiling.
At this juncture, McLaren should concentrate on addressing these errors, enhancing the car, and encouraging both Norris and Piastri to evolve into their best selves. Favoring one driver prematurely could damage morale and create division within the garage.
Time will reveal if McLaren’s culture of dual equality can withstand the pressures where other teams have faltered in the past, but it is too early to abandon that approach. Supporting one driver too soon could lead to irreversible fallout.
Norris recognizes Piastri’s strategic differences – Alex Kalinauckas
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, leads Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar
“Oscar just appears to be more content not to push hard and can extract greater performance from the car by adopting a less aggressive approach,”
Norris mentioned this at Barcelona last month. Just a few weeks after celebrating his first F1 win in Miami, he was focused on refining his performance, particularly in reducing errors during qualifying. This response is relevant to comments made by Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, who noted that “he’s improving every race and looks mentally stronger [at McLaren].”
The calmness of Piastri’s demeanor has been highlighted, supporting Norris’s observation that Piastri adapts effectively to the demands McLaren faces in 2024, especially against Red Bull. He seems to have the advantage in one key area, reinforcing Marko’s assessment.
Driver errors have continued to affect the McLaren duo. This doesn’t diminish the team’s remarkable year-on-year progress or their strong reliability this season. At Spa, mistakes from the drivers were pivotal.
Norris struggled with the gravel at La Source and a mishap with Carlos Sainz, while Piastri had a momentary incident in his pit stop that could have injured his front jackman. At Silverstone, while Norris’s error stole the spotlight, it was Piastri who also lingered too long during his pit stops.
Simply put, Piastri made fewer mistakes last Sunday, which positively impacted his results, contrasting this with how Norris still outperformed him in qualifying. Though Norris had the edge in tyre management—a focus for McLaren hoping for Piastri’s improvement—Piastri showed inconsistency in Budapest.
It’s a close battle between two remarkable teammates, both F1 winners, yet Piastri’s inexperience may be his greatest asset, suggesting further room for development. This calm demeanour and reduced error count should serve him well as he gains confidence.
McLaren’s monumental challenge: keeping both drivers satisfied – Ben Hunt
Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, pole man Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, in Parc Ferme
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
My admiration for Oscar Piastri grows with every race. For much of his time at McLaren, he has quietly excelled while often overshadowed by Norris, learning from his teammate along the way.
Piastri has navigated this journey without making a fuss and, in my assessment, is now nearly at the same level as Norris in skill, particularly concerning racecraft. He has had his mishaps, such as overshooting his pitbox during the Belgian Grand Prix, nearly injuring his front jackman, but his errors have diminished when compared to 2023, his rookie year.
His first victory in F1 came during a drama-filled Hungarian Grand Prix. Regardless of the appropriateness of McLaren’s team order to have Norris yield, Piastri managed the situation with remarkable professionalism.
He remained composed on the radio, exhibiting a level of calm that often leads to better decisions by removing emotion from the equation.
I understand McLaren’s temptation to favour Norris over Piastri as the season progresses; Norris holds a 32-point advantage in the drivers’ championship and requires every advantage to chip away at Verstappen’s 78-point lead.
However, McLaren—and Norris—faces the potential headache of managing what could be the strongest driver pairing on the grid. More occurrences like the one in Hungary, with both drivers competing fiercely for victories, are likely.
The critical factor will be which driver maintains their composure best, and presently, that seems to be Piastri. McLaren’s task will be ensuring the relationship between the two remains harmonious, a near-impossible challenge!
