Norris became McLaren’s main man after Carlos Sainz’s departure in 2021, consistently outperforming his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Now, with Oscar Piastri matching him step for step, the power dynamic has shifted, and Damon Hill believes it has been challenging for Norris to accept this change.
“I think it’s I think it’s a difficult one for Lando,” said the 1996 World champion on Sky Sports’ F1 podcast. “Zak’s [Brown] found a very talented young driver and he’s promoted him when he was very young and he’s had the upper hand at McLaren.”
“It’s been his home. Then a new guy arrives, this you know, apparently insignificant, you know, quiet, unassuming chap comes in…” In just a year and a half, Piastri has started pushing Norris to the very limit.
Hill added that Norris will need to adjust to this new reality. In his rookie season (2023), Piastri was not quite at Norris’ level, but he quickly caught up. In 2024, they have been evenly matched, each securing two wins.
Piastri is not someone who would settle for being a second driver, especially with McLaren being a race-winning team. As a result, the friction between the drivers is likely to increase, and strong competition from Piastri could be a tough challenge for Norris, especially in 2025.
Norris and Piastri might become rivals in 2025
For the remainder of the 2024 season, Piastri has reluctantly agreed to support Norris as the latter mounts a championship challenge. However, in 2025, when both drivers start on equal footing, a rivalry could develop. Especially if McLaren continues to be a top team. Both drivers will be eager to compete for the Drivers’ title.
Lando and Oscar when asked if Mclaren should back Lando:
Norris: “It’s not up to me. I think as any driver you don’t want things to play that way. I wouldn’t say we’re running out of time but time is going away slowly. It’s not for me to decide.”
Piastri: “No comments.” pic.twitter.com/3zVpEufpZS
— McLaren News | (@McLarenF1_News) September 1, 2024
Piastri’s manager and mentor, Mark Webber, has already emphasized that the 23-year-old will not accept a second-driver role. Piastri has proven he can be a race winner and compete for titles. As such, by 2025, Piastri and Norris’ ‘good relationship’ could be tested by an F1 rivalry.
Many experts have already warned McLaren about the potential for a ‘civil war’ within the team, and so far, they haven’t demonstrated strong control over their two stars. The Woking-based team has allowed them to fight one another, and while it provided for great viewing, it has also cost McLaren a lot of points.
