Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren looks on from the garage during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 20, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images for McLaren)
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F1 News: Will Piastri And Norris Remain Teammates or Become Rivals?

Posted by AR1 staff

When the new Formula 1 season began, there was an expectation that McLaren would perform well, with Lando Norris leading the charge.

There was also an expectation that defending F1 champion Max Verstappen would be in the mix, too. However, so far, it’s McLaren who lead the way, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris separated by a mere handful of points in the Drivers’ Standings. But is this a good thing for McLaren? Or could it end in disaster?

The reality is that McLaren will be delighted to see their two drivers top the Drivers’ Standings at this point, as it’s great for the team, and they look on course to see the title head back to their garage.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris head into every grand prix as the favorites to win with Formula 1 betting online, and inevitably, the lead the two share over their rivals continues to extend. But while the drivers both race for McLaren, they both have personal aspirations and dream of being declared champions.

And this is where things could go wrong eventually, as it did in this past weekend’s Canadian GP that saw the two drivers collide three laps from the end of the race, resulting in Norris retiring on the spot.

With the season not even at the halfway point yet, the two drivers and teammates will continue to push each other on, and the competitiveness between them may or may not be friendly, especially as they continue to defend themselves against rivals like Verstappen.

However, suppose Piastri and Norris continue to lead the way at the top of the standings as the season enters the final 8 of 24 races. In that case, it will be a challenge for them to remain a team player rather than focus on their personal aspirations. An understandable selfishness could creep in, as neither Piastri nor Norris will want to pass up the chance of becoming champion, even if it’s at the detriment of each other.

Arguably, McLaren won’t care who wins the title this season as long as it’s Piastri or Norris. Everyone, including McLaren, probably imagined that if one of their drivers were to take the title away from Verstappen, it would be Norris. However, Piastri has been in excellent form and has consistently churned out race wins. He’s at the top of the standings on merit, but with Norris so close behind, it shows how well the two have performed in general.

The ideal scenario would see Piastri and Norris neck and neck all season, locking out other drivers such as Verstappen, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc. They maintain good terms throughout and push each other all the way, adopting the “best man won” approach at the end of the season. However, whether that happens or not remains to be seen, as in the heat of competition and with a title on the line, anything can happen.