In Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, McLaren has two drivers on different ends of the emotional spectrum. With each missed opportunity, Norris gets more self-critical and tightens the reins on himself. Contrarily, Piastri remains level-headed, come what may. Because of this trait, fans couldn’t figure out if the Aussie was his regular subdued self after his Hungarian GP victory or if McLaren’s strategic blunder dampened his spirits. Let’s hear the explanation from the woman who knows him best, his mother, Nicole.

For the unversed, here’s some context for what went down in Hungary. McLaren lined up 1-2 on the grid, with Norris leading Piastri. However, the Briton lost the race lead in Lap 1 and couldn’t retake it. It was smooth sailing for his teammate at the front and it should’ve ended gloriously with him taking the deserved win. But in Lap 45, to cover Norris from Hamilton’s threat, they called him for a pit stop two laps before Piastri. This unintentionally turned into a successful undercut with the Briton leading the race. Oscar just couldn’t retake the lead and McLaren had to instruct Norris to give P1 back to his teammate.

This overshadowed what should’ve been a picture-perfect maiden win for the 23-year-old. His mother, Nicole, addressed this matter on the Red Flags podcast. “People made comments about… ‘The poor kid. He couldn’t be excited because of the way it unfolded.’ But he’s never gonna be Yabba-dabba-dooing and fist pumping and swearing,” she surprisingly remarked, continuing, “I would be there more surprised if you got that from him. He might be slightly more animated, but he’s never gonna be George or Daniel. That’s not him.”

After the race, Norris was quite disappointed with McLaren’s debacle. Though he showed the ultimate team spirit, he lost another chance to close the points gap to championship leader Max Verstappen. But the Woking outfit was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Naturally, they sided with Piastri because he led most of the race. But somehow, in the bigger picture, the Aussie is already proving to be a more rounded racer than his teammate.

Helmut Marko triggers McLaren civil war by holding Oscar Piastri above Lando Norris

McLaren has one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid. One of the youngest pairings, they have left others in the dust. While Norris stands P2 in the drivers championship with 199 points, Piastri, in P4, is only 32 points behind. Their MCL38 is now the fastest car on the grid with team boss Andrea Stella changing the team’s fortune. But can the drivers be directly compared, considering the 4-year experience gap between them?

Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko reckons yes. “I don’t know what the points difference is between the two, but it strongly seems that Piastri is mentally stronger and has gradually caught up with Lando over the course of this season and is even faster at times. Let’s wait and see how that will play out,” he told Sky Sports. Marko’s take echoes those of many fans and experts who see a future world champion in Piastri. His composure under pressure is commendable. 3-time Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz and 7-time champion Lewis Hamilton are probably the only other drivers with similarly calm dispositions.

That tells you the exclusive club that the 23-year-old is destined to join soon. It’s a question of when he becomes world champion, not if. What are your predictions for Piastri’s second half of 2024? Will he overtake Norris in the drivers’ championship by the end of this season? Share your predictions in the comments below.