Oscar Piastri: “My relationship with Norris has improved; what happens on track stays on track”. Oscar Piastri opens up on his evolving relationship with teammate Lando Norris.

Title fight intensifies

For the first time since 2016—when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg battled for the World Championship in Mercedes—two teammates are heading into the final stages of the season with both still capable of becoming world champions. The reference, of course, is to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who have been fighting each other throughout the season for the championship. With three races remaining, they are separated by 24 points in favor of the British driver.

In recent months, Oscar Piastri has experienced a dip in results that saw him lose the substantial lead he had built in the first half of the season. Now, the Australian has shifted from being the hunted to the hunter. If he wins the title, Oscar Piastri would become the first non-European F1 World Champion in 28 years. He was recently interviewed by Formula 1’s official podcast, Beyond the Grid, where he spoke about his relationship with Norris and the unique bond the two McLaren drivers share despite the inevitable on-track rivalry.

The human relationship remains strong

“I think the relationship between us is the same as always, or perhaps even better than it was before,” Oscar Piastri said. “I believe it’s better simply because we know each other much more now, after being teammates for three years. We understand each other more and, from this point of view, our relationship is now stronger than it has ever been. We are both people who keep what happens on track on the track. We don’t carry the emotions we feel on track outside, except maybe for a very short time. But we are both good at letting problems drop and leaving them on the track,” he explained.