Formula 1 News: McLaren will bet on Piastri for title

(GMM) McLaren may already have decided behind the scenes to regard Oscar Piastri (pictured) as the quiet ‘number 1’ for the remainder of 2025.

Despite being actually quicker through the Montreal weekend, Norris’ title hopes were dealt a huge blow when he crashed into the back of his championship-leading teammate’s car – and retired.

“Norris is fast,” former Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost told Auto Bild, “but he’s getting in his own way.

“The pressure, of course, also comes from his teammate, who is already driving like a world champion. McLaren already knows who is stronger in extreme situations.”

When asked if Norris can cope with a world championship challenge “mentally,” Tost admitted: “I don’t know.”

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko, however, is certain.

“Piastri is our opponent in the world championship battle,” he said. “He’s mentally stronger.”

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks the same sentiment is also now firmly established in the minds of McLaren’s bosses – although publicly, they deny it.

“I think it’s now been decided internally that Piastri is the man the team will focus on when it comes to the world championship,” Schumacher told Sky Deutschland.

“Lando is showing too much weakness and making too many mistakes. Add to that how he handled it after the crash with Piastri. He apologized, and that shows what a great person he is, but great people rarely win titles,” the German added.

81 Oscar Piastri, (AUS) McLaren Mercedes MCL39, during the Spanish GP, Barcelona 29 May-1 June 2025, Montemelò Formula 1 World championship 2025.

Nico Rosberg thinks Norris would benefit from some psychological support, but Schumacher doesn’t think so: “You can’t make a tiger out of a cow,” he said.

“Lando knows he can do it, but he also knows he can throw it away with a small mistake. Drivers like Piastri, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen – who is still the king of this discipline – just go for it. They say ‘I’m the best here, I’ll just drive. I’ll just go for it’.

“Lando is different. He’s good in the long runs, but in qualifying, it would be better to turn the head off and just concentrate on what’s fun for a driver – driving around the track as fast as possible,” he added.

Danish former racing driver John Nielsen thinks Norris hit rock bottom in Canada. “If I’m being completely honest, it was the kind of mistake you make in Formula Ford,” he told Ekstra Bladet.

“Norris always says that he can become world champion if you’re a nice guy, but we’ll find out. He has the talent, but Piastri is much stronger mentally.

“Norris is every mother-in-law’s dream, but he lacks that killer instinct that Verstappen, (George) Russell and Piastri have.”