After going through a period of solo dominance, Max Verstappen finally had a rival to deal with last year. It was Lando Norris, driving the all-mighty McLaren that went on to win the Constructors’.
However, the Briton fell just short of dethroning Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship, something he was expected to change this season. Sadly for him, it is his teammate Oscar Piastri who has put up more of a fight.
Piastri’s start to the campaign has been, well, dominant. He has won four in six and looks to be the new favorite to finish P1 in the standings. But above all, Verstappen doesn’t seem to have a straightforward remedy to the Aussie, like he did with Norris last year. So, the Dutchman has to take extreme measures.
Although Norris drove the fastest car for much of the second half last year, he made multiple mistakes by crumbling under pressure. Plus, he’s someone who’s not particularly known for pushing the limits. So Verstappen knew he had the edge over him, which ultimately aided him in his triumph.
Piastri, however, could not be more different. He doesn’t show signs of mental weakness and isn’t afraid to get his elbows out. That’s why, when asked if Verstappen races Piastri differently than Norris, former F1 driver turned pundit Martin Brundle had no hesitation in saying, “100%“.
“He knows there’s something a bit more ‘street fighter’ about Oscar Piastri and he saw it in Jeddah,” Brundle said in a Sky Sports segment. “I think Max knows there’s a different animal when Oscar’s in his mirrors.”
The British presenter, of course, was referring to the race in Saudi Arabia last month, where Piastri’s brilliant start forced Verstappen to retain P1 by going off the track, handing the Red Bull driver a 5-second time penalty. Piastri went on to win the Grand Prix.
LAP 1/50
⚠️ Safety Car ⚠️
Verstappen leads through the first few corners after a charge from Piastri into the first corner! But then Tsunoda and Gasly come together #F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/vv2sMGydaH
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2025
Although Brundle acknowledged that the margin of difference between Piastri and his teammate isn’t much, the little things — like the Australian’s positioning of the car — matter enough to make Verstappen think distinctly. “There’s a decisiveness about what he did…”
Interestingly, the way Piastri handled Verstappen in Jeddah mirrored what the Dutchman has been doing to his rivals for years — using every inch of the rulebook to his advantage. Even if it looks dirty from the outside, Verstappen isn’t afraid to take that risk, something Norris knows all too well from his battles with him last season.
