Is ‘Rookie of the Year’ Oscar Piastri’s Arrival Fueling Lando Norris’ Drive to Excel?

Still only 24 years old, Lando Norris has been part of the circus for five years. The Brit has spent most of his time in the premier class fighting in the midfield, until the summer of the 2023 season. However, from the very start, Norris was considered one of the best and most talented drivers on the grid. He put his stamp on the previous statement with his performances after the McLaren upgrades introduced at Silverstone. In fact, he became a favorite for the second Red Bull seat after his podium-securing performance at Silverstone. However, the entire credit for this uptick in performances cannot be given to the car and Norris alone.

In our opinion, which is a matter of personal perspective and not general understanding, we believe Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri has played a part in the recent uptick in his performances. In fact, we believe Piastri has played a major role in Norris’s performances throughout the year because the Brit has never been put in this position in his life. Let us explain!

The talents of Oscar Piastri are making Lando Norris perform at a higher level

Let us first address the previous statement about Norris never being in this situation. The Brit entered the sport in 2019 and joined the Papaya team as a rookie fresh from an intense championship battle with George Russell in F2 where he lost to the now Mercedes man. Despite losing to George Russell, Norris’ performance was enough to convince McLaren to sign the rookie to drive alongside Carlo Sainz forming a new partnership in the team.

Carlos Sainz joined McLaren in 2019 as well and by then he had already spent five seasons racing in the big leagues. However, being patterned with an experienced driver did not intimidate the rookie Brit. Norris had nothing to lose and everything to gain from his rookie season and that’s exactly what he did. Norris might not have beaten his teammate in overall standings in two years but he was rapid and extremely hungry. This aspect pushed Sainz to the limit and even made the life of Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren miserable. To elaborate, with Ricciardo, Norris might’ve had some hesitation initially but he was still confident. Once he got going, he had the beating of Ricciardo in almost every single race throughout their time together at McLaren.

So to revisit, Norris has never been in a position where he is the secure driver trying to prove his racing superiority against a young talented rookie. The Rookie of the Year has more than held his own and even won a race in the Sprint format. However, since the upgrades, Piastri has matched Norris every step of the way in terms of performance and speed.

The rookie Australian is rapid and despite being on the sidelines for an entire year, he seemed more than ready for the premier class. This incredible output from Piastri was highlighted after the upgrades but Norris was next to him from the start of the season. Even in a slow MCL60 Norris was aware of Piastri’s pace and he knew he had to push himself to the limit to get the better of his teammate. Even though Norris has been ahead of Piastri in most races in the season, we have seen the Brit push himself to the limit, seldom resulting in costly errors.

Read More: Innocent Game Turns Into Fierce Competition as Oscar Piastri Picks Sworn Rival in Battle Against Lando Norris’ “Best Friend”

However, apart from some errors, Norris was brilliant in the second half of the 2023 season proving his championship-winning qualities while keeping his seniority in the team. So in our opinion, Piastri’s admission to the Papaya Academy has shown us the best version of Lando Norris in his F1 career so far.

Even F1 experts are noticing this trend.

Sky Sports pundit praise Oscar Piastri’s unconscious contribution to Lando Norris’s life

The Brit has always gotten along well with his teammates. As it seems, so far he is getting very well along with Piastri as well. However, this does not mean Norris doesn’t consider the rookie a genuine threat as your teammate, in the world of F1, is your first and biggest rival. So staying cordial and respecting the rivalry, Norris is pushing himself to stay ahead of his teammate.

Even Martin Brundle addressed this scenario in a video on the Sky Sports F1 YouTube channel and credited the rookie for bringing out the best in his teammate.

Brundle said, “Oscar Piastri has really sharpened Lando Norris up, and Lando had to get on with that a little bit because Piastri turned up as a rookie delivering the high speeds through the really challenging corners, delivering some amazing results,” Brundle explained. “Made some rookie errors as well. But I think that’s really driven both drivers on and probably just what Lando needed because, in the second half of the season, Lando Norris has been outstanding.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Is Oscar Piastri Already Justifying His Talent By Performing Better Than Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren?

McLaren can thank the rookie for bringing out the best in the driver they are shouldering their hopes on for a championship. However, what happens when this intra-team rivalry becomes more intense and Piastri starts challenging Norris regularly? Let’s see how this relationship develops.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EssentiallySports.