McLaren might have had a number of troubles going on for the longest time. But having two great drivers in its lineup isn’t one of them. From the current generation of drivers, it has had Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, Norris, and Ricciardo, and now, two hotshots with tremendous potential in them, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

But as Piastri comes in with lots of hopes on his shoulders, so much so that McLaren went head-to-head against Alpine for him, things have already started to heat up between him and Norris, who is now under a long-term contract with the team. It’s well anticipated that the two will go toe to toe against each other, regardless of the car’s performance. And in this fight, Oscar has taken the first shot.

When asked if he could beat Lando in an interview with ABC, as reported by the Daily Mail, Piastri replied, “I think so. I think everyone has to have that self-belief that they can win, or if they’re not in a position to win to do the best that they can with what they have.”

“Putting (points and wins) numbers on my expectations is pretty difficult, especially in F1, I think it will depend where we are as a team, where the car is at,” he added, rightfully shifting responsibility to the car development as expectations run high, contrary to his self-belief, given his portfolio so far.

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Lando has finished as high as second in the F2, whereas Piastri was a champion in the feeder series. Moreover, Piastri is said to have performed well in the developmental stages, making the Briton more cautious than ever.

Lando Norris explains the bigger motive for bringing in Oscar Piastri

Lando Norris was believed to be the driver who could bring glory back to McLaren. He was believed to be the chosen one, but it all seems to be changing since Piastri’s arrival. But Norris also believes that the Aussie’s arrival will help him and his team get better than ever.

He, as quoted by Planet F1, explained, “The reason Oscar is here is to push me more, is to push us as a team more, that’s why he got brought into the team. So absolutely, I think that’s going to help us as a team. It’s going to force me to push the limit maybe that little bit more.”

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Norris and Piastri know they will be pushing each other and so does the team. But can the management, led by Andrea Stella, keep the two in check and prevent them from crossing the line and becoming rivals?