Lando Norris reveals how closely he studies Oscar Piastri as McLaren rivalry grows. The McLaren battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ignites 2025.

The McLaren battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ignites 2025. Secrets, tension, respect, and a world title chase not seen in years

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are fighting for the world championship title, bringing to Formula 1 a McLaren driver rivalry not witnessed since 2007. In 2025, Oscar Piastri has already secured five wins to Lando Norris’ two, including a Sprint victory in Miami. He leads the Drivers’ Championship by 10 points. It’s the first intra-team challenge at McLaren since the historic duel between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Although Piastri won two races in 2024, Lando Norris had proven to be the stronger McLaren driver, especially in qualifying. But in 2025, after nine Grands Prix and two Sprints, the situation has shifted. Piastri has an average advantage of 0.125 seconds and leads Lando Norris 7–4 in both qualifying and race results.

Lando Norris explained why he is not surprised by his teammate’s improvement in 2025. “If I were an outsider, I’d say 100% yes, but I know what he’s capable of,” he told BBC Sport. “I see every detail: how he drives, how he moves his hands and feet. No one watches him as closely as I do.

“I know his talent. He’s not just fast, he’s also very consistent. He’s driving at an extremely high level,” the Briton added. His internal analysis of Piastri’s work shows how much respect and awareness there is within the McLaren garage.

Norris’ struggles hinder his world title run
However, Norris admitted to experiencing some personal difficulties in 2025. According to him, the MCL39 is sometimes “unresponsive.” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella confirmed the issue. “I feel the car mostly through the steering wheel, and when that feeling is missing, it becomes hard to push to the limit,” Norris explained.

“I’ve had to find other ways to improve,” said Lando Norris. “I’m working on sensing the car more with my body or feet, and I’m collaborating with the team to regain the right steering feel. It’s part of our job as drivers: to adapt, evolve, and keep pushing.” Now it’s just a matter of watching the two drivers’ progress and enjoying the battle for the world title.