F1 News: McLaren driver equality won’t last forever – Domenicali

(GMM) McLaren driver Oscar Piastri (pictured) is tightening his hold on the 2025 world championship after dismantling teammate Lando Norris in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying at Spa.

The McLaren driver topped both sole practice and sprint qualifying, prompting Auto Motor und Sport to declare that Piastri “dismantled Norris” in Belgium so far.

It’s a strong start to the weekend from the 24-year-old Australian, who reclaimed momentum after losing the British GP win to a controversial FIA penalty.

Norris, meanwhile, is still recovering from a bizarre off-track injury sustained in the hours after his Silverstone victory.

As he turned to show his trophy to fans on the opposite side of the pitwall, a cameraman slipped and struck Norris square on the nose with a television camera – leaving the Brit bloodied and requiring stitches.

It was his second nose injury in as many seasons, having cut the same spot with broken glass while partying in Amsterdam during King’s Day in 2024.

“This time my nose was repaired more professionally than back then,” Norris joked, according to the Dutch publication Formule 1.

“But both incidents are great memories for me. So when I look in the mirror and want to think of something great, I just look at my nose. That’s a good thing.”

Despite the humor, Norris admits Piastri is the more naturally comfortable driver in the 2025 McLaren.

“Do I feel more confident that I can produce more performances like that? Yes,” he said. “Do I feel as good as last season, and am I performing consistently at the same level? I still don’t think so.”

“I feel more of a threat now to Oscar, yes,” Norris added. “But where I am now, where the car is, and how I handle the car, it’s still not at the level I want.”

The McLaren duo are now in a head-to-head battle for the title, with Max Verstappen no longer in realistic championship contention. The team has so far insisted on driver equality, but the pressure is building.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who was once team boss at Ferrari during its strict number 1 driver era, believes McLaren’s current balance will be tested.

Asked by Corriere della Sera if the Piastri-Norris dynamic is a “soft duel,” Domenicali said: “Yes, but sooner or later one will push the other out.”

“McLaren is preparing for that moment. Letting them race isn’t for everyone. I say this because I’ve been there – when I was in that role, I didn’t do it that way.

“McLaren also teaches us that in difficult times, you shouldn’t despair. If you have the right people and tools, things change quickly.”