The world of racing is no stranger to bitter rivalries and intense competition. In addition to revealing the turbulent dynamics within the McLaren squad, the recent altercation between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris highlighted an alarming instance of an unfair advantage that further complicates an already charged-up battle.
With high hopes for this year, Oscar Piastri entered Formula 1 after escaping the confines of Alpine. The 22-year-old McLaren rookie appears to have established himself at the pinnacle of motorsports after a challenging initial phase.
While Lando Norris got P2 in consecutive races, the Melburnian led a few laps in the Belgian GP sprint. Even though he still needs to figure out how to take on some of the greatest F1 drivers, the F2 champion is content with having an unfair advantage in this fierce competition, which prompted him to openly threaten Lando Norris.
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What prompted Oscar Piastri to openly threaten Lando Norris?
Piastri is proving to be a wise investment for McLaren owing to his immaculate performance, which has not only earned him a respectable 34 points but also changed the way many F1 analysts view him since joining the squad. With his sights set on continued improvement and the wish to challenge his teammate, Piastri recently ended up giving the Bristol native an open threat. As per Speedcafe, he said, “I’m obviously able to get quite close to Lando in most sessions. But I want to take that next step and really be able to challenge him.”
However, one would be compelled to question Piastri’s confidence in making such threats during his first season, and that too during the summer break. Is McLaren’s mid-season comeback, his faith in his own abilities, or some other force giving him an unfair advantage?
Oscar Piastri says he is happy to have manager Mark Webber “in my corner” for his rookie season in #Formula1:
“Obviously he’s got a wealth of F1 experience, racing experience, and now that I’m in #F1 myself…”#McLaren #MCL60 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/Y3Np6dgrh9
— McLaren F1 News 🏴🇦🇺 (@TheMcLarenZone) August 22, 2023
According to a tweet from The McLaren Zone, Piastri highlighted the advantage he has of having a veteran like Mark Webber as his manager. He said, “[Definitely happy] he’s in my corner. Obviously, he’s got a wealth of F1 experience, racing experience, and now that I’m in F1 myself, he’s got heaps of ideas and questions.”
Oscar Piastri definitely merits all the praise for how well he has done over the 12 races. And this is precisely what has led Lando Norris to render an immediate assessment of Piastri’s “silly mistakes.”
Oscar Piastri’s “silly mistakes” get evaluated by Lando Norris
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After Brown made it clear that the developmental stages were missed, both drivers encountered recurrent MCL60 issues. Though much of the attention was on Oscar Piastri, who has been impeccable while making just a single mistake at the Canadian GP. The youngster established himself as the fastest amongst all the rookies making their debuts this season, and he now has his sights set on a podium finish following the summer break.
And after the Melburnian’s incredible effort, Norris appeared ecstatic about having a teammate who is competitive enough to give him a battle. As per Speedcafe, Norris, who already has made a statement about Piastri pushing him faster, said, “Just very good. Very good guy. He’s come in and done a very good job as a rookie in his first season of Formula 1, not done any silly things, not made any silly mistakes. [He’s a] quick learner. I think he has a lot of what you need to be a Formula 1 driver, especially smart, clever.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: Lando Norris Evokes Senna Comparisons with Unique Quality, Shines Bright at British Grand Prix
Both McLaren drivers will be seen attempting to push the MCL 60 to new heights as the summer break draws to a close. Do you believe Piastri can defeat Norris in his first season in the spotlight?