Red Bull have dominated the Constructors’ Championship in the past two seasons. They won the 2022 title by 205 points and increased that advantage to a whopping 451 points last season. However, much of the contribution in both seasons came as a result of Max Verstappen, a reason why Helmut Marko believes that his side does not have the best driver line-up.
When asked to share his thoughts about the same, the Austrian replied, “Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren. They are young and they are hungry. Currently, they get along well and work well together“.
Both Norris and Piastri have played a crucial role in helping McLaren become competitive and fight Red Bull for wins this season. McLaren’s upgrades in Miami helped them instantly as Lando Norris grabbed his maiden F1 win.
Since that race in the United States, Norris has provided Max Verstappen a hard time in almost every race. Norris finished behind the Dutchman in both Imola and Canada and came agonizingly close to beating him on both occasions.
And it is not just Norris who has been performing well for McLaren. Piastri in his sophomore year has also ensured that he continues to push Norris hard to better his results week in and week out. It is this competitiveness between the two that arguably make them one of the best driver line-ups on the grid, as Helmut Marko also pointed out.
Lando Norris admits Oscar Piastri has made him a better driver
Although Piastri has often been a thorn for Norris, the Briton wants nothing else than to have a teammate who pushes him to become a better driver. The 24-year-old also admitted to the same in a recent interview and explained how their intra-team rivalry has helped them get the best results for McLaren.
“We both have the same goals. We both want to win. The quickest way to achieve that is by working together, helping one another, [and] just helping the team score the most points possible“, explained Norris.
Although Norris has comfortably outclassed Piastri so far when it comes to the championship standings, the Australian has shown glimpses of his remarkable capabilities. For example, in Monaco, Piastri set the second-fastest lap time, only behind pole-sitter Charles Leclerc. The 23-year-old then also finished the race in the same spot, while Norris only managed P4.
Such competition between the two teammates is likely to only help McLaren as they continue to find ways to reduce the gap to reigning champions Red Bull.
