McLaren: Norris forced to retire with PU issue as Piastri pulls away
Oscar Piastri has extended his lead in the Formula 1 world championship to 34 points over teammate Lando Norris. While a dramatic oil leak forced Norris into retirement, the Australian secured a commanding win from pole position at Zandvoort. Yet the Dutch Grand Prix may not prove decisive, with nine races still left on the calendar.
When smoke began to pour from the rear of Lando Norris’s McLaren, signaling the end of his race, many fans were reminded of the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix. Back then it was different drivers – Rosberg and Hamilton – different teams, but the same Mercedes power unit. That is where the similarities end. Lewis Hamilton had been dominating in Sepang before his engine failed, while Norris had already resigned himself to conceding victory to Oscar Piastri. Hamilton had five races left to overturn the deficit. Norris still has nine.
This was not quite a knockout blow, but it was enough for Piastri to leave Zandvoort with 18 more points than expected over his closest rival. Had the race ended without drama, his gap to Norris would have been 16 points; instead, it has grown to 34. The bad news for Norris is twofold: firstly, the misfortune of suffering McLaren’s first engine issue of the year, and secondly, the fact that even on the track where he was tipped to outperform his teammate, the final scorecard would still have been negative.
Piastri’s performance when it mattered most was exemplary. His decisive Q3 lap in qualifying, his strong start, his relentless control of the pace to keep Norris outside DRS range, his composure when the track turned damp, and his precision in managing two separate restarts after safety car interruptions. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised his maturity: “I think this was a weekend, let’s say, in true Oscar style. What he did shows his maturity and the level he has now reached as a Formula 1 driver.”
Winning in a dominant car can often lead to oversimplified judgments that overlook the added value a driver brings. The McLaren MCL39 is by far the best car on the 2025 grid, just as Norris was widely considered the clear favourite for the title before the season began. But if the championship remains open and fiercely contested, it is only because Piastri has taken a remarkable step forward.
“I’m doing really well on the tracks where I struggled last year,” Oscar Piastri explained before a weekend many had already chalked up as Norris territory. The way he overturned what seemed a foregone conclusion speaks volumes, though those nuances often go unnoticed without the credit they deserve.
For Lando Norris, the situation has undoubtedly become more complicated. Internally, however, the 25–0 result from Zandvoort has swept away any lingering strategic balancing acts within McLaren. From now on, there is only one approach. “I just have to aim for victory,” Norris admitted. “One race at a time, then we’ll take stock at the end.”
Nothing is over for Lando. With the car at his disposal and the number of races still to come, every scenario remains possible. The reminder is close at hand: in the season opener at Melbourne, it was Norris who scored a dominant 25–2 result, thanks in part to a mistake from Piastri on a damp track. Nine races later, the Australian had turned the tables and led the championship by 22 points. It can be done.
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