“Oscar’s been beating me all morning.” That’s something Lando Norris wouldn’t have wanted to say this season, no matter the situation. Especially considering he’s in his fifth season in Formula 1, whereas the Oscar in question? That’s his rookie teammate, Oscar Piastri. While Norris may have at least thought that at the Belgian GP (and briefly at the Japanese GP), he’s managed to keep Piastri at bay otherwise. That was until now.

A few weeks ago, some of the McLaren crew headed to Franciacorta, Italy. Why? To have a fun day driving LN Karts, Lando Norris’ karting brand. Joining Norris with the crew were also Piastri and McLaren CEO Zak Brown. As racing drivers (and former ones), you can imagine how their fun day went. Needless to say, it would’ve been incomplete without a little bit of competition, and Piastri might’ve put Norris in his place.

Lando Norris versus Oscar Piastri (featuring Zak Brown)

Karting is a huge part of any F1 driver’s life. That’s one of the first steps they take to get to the pinnacle of motorsport. In 2021, Norris launched LN Racing Kart, whose operations are supported by Ricky Flynn Motorsport. That’s the team that Norris had when he was in the karting scene. In his latest LandoLOG, he filmed McLaren’s day out with LN Kart. he said, “We’re here on my go-kart—the LN Kart. This is actually like the factory team for my go-kart. One of the best—the team I used back in 2013, 2014. The coolest thing is that it’s my go-kart. Like I’m driving on my go-kart.”

The boasting didn’t stop there. When asked how LN Kart has been doing since its inception, Norris proudly said, “I think it’s going really well. Not just here in Europe but even in America, in Australia. I think it’s going really well. People love it. It’s a nice thing seeing other people, seeing kids growing up, and being on my go-kart. It’s just a cool thing to see. So, I think it’s going well.” Considering it’s his kart, you would think he’d have had an advantage over Piastri. Well, he might’ve thought he did until Piastri rained on his parade.

Norris, Piastri, and Brown’s time on track was like an F1 weekend, with FP1, FP2, FP3, qualifying, and the race. After qualifying, where Lando narrowly edged out Oscar, he revealed Piastri had been “beating me all morning.” While he may have had the better track position, Piastri unleashed his stellar race pace and left Norris in his dust. Not to mention right in front of their team boss. 

Read More: Amid Lando Norris Flirting With Red Bull, Zak Brown Prioritizes Oscar Piastri With Long-Term Contract

Even though Piastri one-upped Norris—who had home-equipment-advantage—on a go-kart track, it still counts. There’s no doubt Piastri would’ve enjoyed that outing, especially considering he beat his idol.

Piastri came through the ranks looking up to Norris

When a rookie joins F1, the first person they look up to is their teammate. Their teammate is their benchmark. When they start looking at their teammate as a rival rather than a benchmark, that’s when it becomes clear that a rookie is here to stay. Piastri managed to do that quite quickly at McLaren, matching and challenging Norris every chance he got. While the McLaren boys never raced each other in the junior leagues, Piastri revealed he always looked up to Norris.

On P1 With Matt and Tommy’s YouTube Channel, he said, “I would say I never really had one specific idol. Like when I was growing up watching [F1], Mark Weber was at Red Bull. Obviously, being Australian, being in a Red Bull that was very quick at the time, I naturally followed him. Even some of the guys in the junior ranks above me, like Lando [Norris]. He was always two or three years above me, winning most things on his way up. So, I guess kind of him in some ways.”

Watch This Story: How Oscar Piastri Has Made a Scintillating Rise to the Pinnacle of Motorsport 

What did you think of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s go-karting race weekend?