Formula 1 can be a brutal sport, at times it can grant you privileges, while at other times it can put you under tremendous pressure. Much like it did to Lando Norris who has been trying to cope with the increasing pressure while racing for the floundering McLaren squad. In addition, the golden boy of the papaya army subsequently has been exposed to one of his weaknesses due to the arrival of Oscar Piastri. What privilege are we talking about? Let’s find out.

As Norris enters the fifth year of his McLaren deal, his career growth hasn’t been at its peak. It is because McLaren’s new car hasn’t performed well and didn’t give its drivers a fair chance to compete against the other midfield teams. While going through this period, Norris might be reflecting on the benefits of his partnership with veteran Daniel Ricciardo, with whom the British driver had a strong bond that helped him wade off the pressure.

Norris recently acknowledged that Oscar Piastri had pushed him harder and that the 23-year-old had been on his toes and under pressure to perform. This clearly implies that Piastri’s arrival has taken away all the advantages of Lando’s, and as the team’s senior driver, he may now be under further pressure. The Lift the Lid podcast host made the exact same point in a recent episode.

He said, “Lando’s been very fortunate because he never really was under pressure with Daniel. He was always the guy that was ahead. He was always able to pull out the laps. When he did it was always able to. The results when it came to the race on Sunday and then that builds our confidence at the same time and this is, you know, probably the first time with Lando in the position is that mind whether where his mind is at the present time with his confidence within the team as well where is that a teammate this actually has been starting to push him and has beaten him on the race track as well on Sunday.”

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Over time, Norris has demonstrated his potential, indicating that if his team provides him with a competitive vehicle, he is a driver who can win the title. However, given an analyst’s recent serious claims about Oscar Piastri’s skills, it’s possible that the seeds of civil war were sown.

Will Oscar Piastri truly challenge Lando Norris on the path to the championship?

Oscar Piastri’s Formula 1 debut might have not gone quite how he would have hoped. The F1 community, however, has taken notice of him despite his lack of fortune. One of them is David Croft, a Sky Sports broadcaster, who believes the Australian driver is the real deal.

According to MSN, Croft remarked while admiring the Australian’s abilities, he said, ” As a human being I think he is fantastic, he’s really approachable, very chatty – a really easy going guy. As a racing driver, he is absolutely the real deal.”

He added, “He will only get better. He has really impressed the McLaren team in the way he has knuckled down, the way he’s learnt, the way he’s adapted to the strains and stresses of being an F1 driver. In the years to come we will see some fine performances from this man. He looks a champion in the making to be honest and has done for some time now.”

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Do you think Piastri’s inclusion will help Norris to get the best out of him or is this the beginning of a new civil war?