The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw Oscar Piastri achieve his third victory of 2025, taking the lead in the world standings.
The Australian managed this result thanks to a key characteristic that is missing in his teammate Lando Norris: here is the big difference between the two.
Piastri’s Solidarity and Norris’ Fragility
McLaren has two very different drivers. On one hand, we have Piastri, a driver who describes himself as “cool, calm and collected,” meaning he doesn’t let his emotions influence him.
On the other hand, there is Norris, who has more often spoken openly about the mental challenges he faces.
This difference between the two sometimes shows on track, as happened during the Jeddah weekend.
The Australian delivered an outstanding performance, causing Verstappen to incur a penalty through a brilliant start and attempting a daring overtake on Lewis Hamilton. Two key moves that allowed him to cross the line in first place.
On the other side of the McLaren garage, number 4 went into the wall early in Q3. This incident left him in 10th place on the starting grid.
Not only that, during his recovery in the race, Norris was fooled by the seven-time world champion twice, losing significant time before finally overtaking him. Time that, in hindsight, cost him a chance to finish on the podium.
Same Ambitions, Different Situations
After five races, probably even without the benefit of pre-season predictions, Piastri is at the top of the world standings.
Now, the obvious question is: will the 2001-born driver allow himself to be emotionally influenced by the scenario, or will he maintain the same calm that has brought him here?
The answer will only be revealed as the season unfolds, but one thing is certain: if both McLaren drivers want to win this World Championship, Lando Norris will have to change course, while Oscar Piastri is already on the right track.
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