Oscar Piastri’s F1 career so far, has been full of several highs, and two visits to the podium. His biggest highlight, however, came at the 2023 Qatar GP Sprint, which he won. This win gave Piastri a taste of what it is like to stand on the top step of a podium in F1. However, his teammate Lando Norris is yet to taste similar success despite having more experience in the sport. The same became a topic when Piastri appeared in a Lie Detector Test with Sky Sports.
The interviewer asked Piastri whether he reminded Norris of his win on a daily basis. Piastry truthfully replied that he didn’t do so (daily).
OSCAR PIASTRI IS A WINNER IN FORMULA 1!
The Rookie keeps his cool in a chaotic Sprint in Lusail #QatarGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/r42n8gFXtD
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 7, 2023
He then asked the McLaren driver if he reminded Norris of his success occasionally. Piastri once again denied the claim, but this time, the test revealed that he was lying. Justifying his lie, Piastri claimed that it probably had more to do with Norris reminding himself of the same.
“I feel like he [Lando Norris] reminds himself more than I do.”
Lando Norris may not have won an F1 race, but is no stranger to success in F1. The British driver has frequented the podium since his debut, having now earned 14 top three finishes. Of the 14 podium finishes, Norris has finished P2 seven times, bringing him agonizingly close to a race win.
One of Norris’ most heartbreaking losses came at the 2021 Russian GP. He was leading the race, with just four laps remaining, when a strategy goof-up on his part, dropped him down to P7.
Lando Norris has not lost his value in the driver market
Despite his unfortunate record, Lando Norris remains a highly valued driver in F1. The potential within him is vast, and teams understand that well. Red Bull, for example, has often shown an interest in him but Norris does not see himself partnering up with a driver like Max Verstappen. Hence, he never truly explored the avenue of joining the Milton Keynes-based team.
“As a team, we made the right decision”
Oscar Piastri Lando Norris pic.twitter.com/KnIvdhv06o
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 24, 2024
Meanwhile, McLaren is hard at work, trying to retain Norris for as long as possible. Given their late resurgence in 2023 and a positive start to 2024, Norris would now be eyeing a race win. McLaren doesn’t want to see him go, and only a fast car capable of winning would be enough to make the Briton stay.
Keeping the team’s progress in mind, Lando Norris signed a contract extension with McLaren ahead of the 2024 season. His previous contract saw him tied to the team till 2025, but the duration of the new deal remains unknown.
