Italian F1 journalist believes “difficulties may arise between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri”. According to Renato Ronco,a rivalry between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could soon emerge at McLaren.

In Formula 1, the team to beat at the moment is undoubtedly McLaren, with a car superior to the others. However, as shown last Sunday in Suzuka, the British team is not invincible. In fact, Max Verstappen won the race by taking advantage of misunderstandings between the pit wall and a lack of teamwork between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. This was especially evident in the final stages of the race when the Australian had more pace than his teammate Norris.

Is Oscar Piastri perhaps showing more hunger than Norris? The English driver is currently ahead of the Australian in the standings, but Oscar seems to have improved further compared to 2024, with more speed and consistency. At the moment, McLaren sees Norris as the lead driver to target the drivers’ title, although Oscar Piastri could potentially dethrone Norris as the team’s number one at Woking.

Renato Ronco addressed the McLaren drivers’ situation during his Pit-Talk interview. The Italian F1 journalist highlighted Oscar Piastri’s attempt to make the team understand that he had more to give compared to Norris, but in the end, the “papaya team” told the Australian to stay behind the Briton in the final stages of the Japanese Grand Prix.

“They are two guys who have already shown great ability. In fact, Oscar Piastri tried to make the team realize that maybe he could catch Max Verstappen. He may have been told not to, but perhaps he wouldn’t have succeeded anyway. A bit of difficulty might arise between the two, although in that team, things generally work well, especially in terms of managing the team, which is very important. Maintaining harmony is crucial. Anyway, both will have their chance (to aim for the title), and I think we’ll see that soon.”

This weekend in Bahrain, F1 will be back on track, and it will be a great opportunity to see if any sparks will fly between the two McLaren drivers. Will the British driver be able to defend himself from potential attacks from Oscar Piastri? Will the Australian manage to “dethrone” Lando Norris as McLaren’s number one? The upcoming Grand Prix will be crucial in resolving any doubts.