The world title fight is heating up between the two papaya drivers. Despite the season just beginning, McLaren is almost monopolizing the podium, with the two drivers alternating on the top step. But who will come out on top in the end? In Saudi Arabia, Piastri hinted at the new element that could work in his favor.
The 2025 season opened with a clear advantage for McLaren over direct rivals Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, who have much ground to make up. With other teams falling behind, the title fight is inevitably becoming an internal matter.
Given such a dominant car and considering the past year, many saw Norris as the natural favorite for the world title. However, Oscar Piastri has resolved the issues he faced last year in qualifying and tire management, and is now giving his teammate a real challenge.
After four races, the Australian leads with two wins to the Briton’s one, but the season is still long, and the battle between the two could intensify.
Oscar Piastri stated during the Saudi Arabian press conference, that he believes the hard work they have done is truly making a difference. He said he feels more comfortable in qualifying and believes he has taken a small step forward.
He added that last year he was very close, and that this year there have been a couple of qualifying sessions where he was still slightly behind, but more often on the right side of the gap. He said it has been work on many fronts to gain those few tenths, and that it has been worth it.
The 2001-born driver also said that, beyond team dynamics and preferences, the power of clean air is fundamental. Therefore, he believes that qualifying ahead will always be crucial. With two drivers in the same car and with similar performances, being in front gives you an important advantage.
Oscar Piastri was also asked about the topic of updates and how they will be managed, considering that the two drivers are competing against each other for the world championship.
A fair fight
He said that the situation this year is very different, referring to the updates that were brought last year to Miami. Last year, especially at the beginning of the season, they wanted to bring every minor update as soon as possible to gain points in the constructors’ standings.
This year, he said, they already have a good margin in the constructors’ championship, and both are fighting for the drivers’ title. Therefore, it is expected that both will have the same opportunities and be able to fight on equal terms. As long as the team can afford it, they will have the same car every weekend, he concluded.
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