When it was clear that Lando Norris would be getting his third teammate at McLaren in 2023, there were concerns about the harmony within the team. However, despite the initial concerns, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have formed a healthy relationship. Not to the extent of getting a nickname just yet, but the McLaren men are defying the teammate rivalry stereotype. Moreover, their relationship has been extremely beneficial to the Woking outfit with the two propelling the team to the front. As it turns out, this relationship was in the works for years after Norris made the first move.
Long before Piastri was an F1 hopeful, Lando Norris extended his hand of friendship toward the young Australian. Piastri made this revelation during an interview. A clip of which is now on X posted by user @l4ndocore highlighting the current teammate’s first interaction with him, completely unaware of what fate had in store.
Speaking about his F3 championship win, Piastri revealed that he received a message from his current McLaren teammate as well. “So I got some pretty cool text messages and Instagram messages. I had a bit of a conversation with Daniel Ricciardo after the championship which was nice. I think I got a message from Lando Norris as well and a few other guys. That was pretty cool to see. Definitely felt I’d done something pretty cool when I got congratulations from those kinda people,” he revealed.
Long before the two even met, Norris went out of his way to congratulate a young Aussie. Who would’ve thought they’d be teammates now? It left a positive impact on Piastri as well. He highlighted that by expressing how honored he felt to be addressed by people like Norris and even Ricciardo. Now years later, they’re using this mutual respect to work together toward a common goal.
Oscar Piastri highlights his working relationship with Lando Norris
Who knew Piastri and Norris would turn out to be two peas from the same pod? No one, surely not the team. However, they were pleasantly surprised when the pair started giving almost identical feedback from the get-go. Because of this excellent working relationship, McLaren is in a competitive position for the first time since the early 2010s.
Piastri also highlighted in an interview there are no barriers to information sharing. The current goal for the entire Papaya army is to close the gap to Red Bull. This is what Piasri and Norris are both working toward holistically with a lot of mutual respect. Norris showcased that respect as well.
Not only with his F3 championship congratulatory message but also when he spoke about his teammate’s rookie season. As quoted by Express, Norris said, “Oscar had an incredible season. Keeping calm and being yourself, it’s good to be reminded of that. I think he’s been very, very good at dealing with pressure. I have a lot of respect for Oscar in how he was able to stay so calm in a new environment, in Formula One, on the big stage.”
Such admiration toward a teammate is rare to see in Formula 1. This unique relationship between the two is surely a gift for McLaren as they slowly make their way to the top. This pairing has changed the team’s dynamic on the grid. Going by their comments toward each other and philosophy, it will continue changing for the better.
