Vice-Champion and Team Cornerstone
In 2024, Lando Norris achieved four victories, secured second place in the championship behind Max Verstappen, and led McLaren to their first Constructors’ title in 26 years. He clearly outperformed his teammate Oscar Piastri. During the second half of the 2024 Formula 1 season, there was much debate about whether the papaya team should issue team orders favoring Lando Norris in his battle against Max Verstappen.
In reality, the #4 driver didn’t receive significant assistance from his team. The only notable gesture from Oscar Piastri was yielding the Sprint race victory in Brazil, a favor Lando Norris returned in the next Sprint in Qatar, when Max Verstappen had already clinched the title mathematically. However, none of this will matter in 2025, as Lando Norris confirmed: he won’t enjoy any on-track advantages at the start of the season based on his superior performance in the past championship.
Starting from Scratch
“In 2025, we’re starting from scratch, and Oscar has the opportunity to fight for the championship too,” Lando Norris explained to journalists, as reported by PlanetF1.com. “All these discussions are tied to the battle for the Drivers’ Championship, and I’ve earned the right to have some of these privileges. I’ve earned the right to have this opportunity by doing a good job throughout the season. I’m not going around asking for it.”
“Oscar helped me a couple of times,” Lando Norris concluded, emphasizing the equal treatment within the McLaren garage. “But when we went to Baku, it was actually the opposite: I gave him way, and then Oscar helped me win in Brazil. Unfortunately, things didn’t go well on Sunday, and the chance slipped away, but I repaid the favor [in the Qatar Sprint]. This is our strength as a team. I don’t think other teams operate this way, and it’s definitely part of the reason why we are where we are now as a team, Constructors’ champions.”
Leave a Reply