Lando Norris admits he and Oscar Piastri are probably as “nervous and excited” as McLaren about the prospect of going head-to-head in F1’s world championship fight, but believes the team are “ready” to handle such a scenario.
Confirming McLaren’s status from pre-season as title favourites, the reigning constructors champions’ drivers have shared the campaign’s first two Grand Prix wins between them and were only denied a probable double one-two by Piastri’s spin on dry tyres in the wet at the season opener in Australia.
China victor Piastri’s dropped points in Melbourne mean Norris leads him by 10 points in the early standings, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell currently in between them, and the McLaren pair are set to be the big favourites to challenge for victory again at the next race in Japan on April 6.
Asked about the prospect of him and his team-mate being in season-long title contention and the possible ‘trouble’ that could cause, Norris said: “We were free to race [in China], didn’t have the pace to really get up to Oscar, and he drove very well. So he deserved it. Same really last weekend.
“There were those two laps [in the Australian GP] that I know everyone loves to talk about where we just held position, but the rest of it, we were free to race.
“So I’m sure we’re going to have some closer racing at some point. I think we’re both excited – probably nervous and excited at the same time – as I’m sure the team will be. But we’re ready.
“We know that as much as we work together and we have a good time and enjoy ourselves, we both know we want to try and beat each other and show who’s best.
“And that’s inevitable. So there’s no point trying to hide away from that fact or make something of it.
“We’re two competitors who both want to win. But we help each other out. I think we both achieved something better this weekend because of that fact. And we’ll continue to do that.”
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Highlights from the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix from the Shanghai International Circuit
Norris, though, insisted it was far from a given that only he and Piastri would be fighting for wins consistently at the front.
“I’m sure at the minute it’s going to be like that, but like Oscar said, at any point other teams can find something,” he added.
“Other teams have talked about upgrades and stuff already and they can catch up quicker than you think, just like we did last year. So as much as we’re doing that, we also have to think as a team and keep pushing the team forward from that side.”
Norris: Piastri partnership ‘huge advantage’ for McLaren
With Red Bull understood to again be giving serious consideration to the occupant of their second seat next to world champion Max Verstappen after Liam Lawson’s dire start to the season, Norris has once more pointed out McLaren’s driver pairing.
The youthful Norris-Piastri combination is into its third season and helped McLaren to their first constructors’ title since 1998 last year.
“Probably apart from Ferrari, I don’t think there’s another team that has two drivers that push each other anywhere near as much,” said Norris.
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Norris says he’s lucky to have finished the Chinese Grand Prix safely after having critical braking issues in the final laps
“And for us, that’s a huge advantage. Even if you have the same car for everyone, if you have a team with two drivers who can push each other, they’re always going to beat everyone else that’s just on their own.
“So we have a great car, we have a great team, but we also have two drivers that are pushing each other more than any other team has. And that will always triumph – even [over] the best driver on the grid. That’s one of our biggest strengths at the minute – how we’re able to learn from each other.”
Piastri, who claimed his third Grand Prix win in Shanghai, added: “I think we’ve got different strengths and weaknesses as drivers. And I think this weekend there were certain points where it just worked a bit to my favour, naturally.
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McLaren chief executive officer Zak Brown joined Karun Chandhok at the SkyPad to look back on how Oscar Piastri claimed his maiden pole around Shanghai International Circuit
“And I think there’s been other weekends where it definitely hasn’t, and I’ve had to try and look at things from how Lando’s driven and apply them myself. I think that is definitely the advantage – or an advantage – we have.
“Having strong team-mates, you always learn from each other. It’s impossible to measure how much lap time you gain from pushing one another, but you do gain something, that’s for sure.”
Formula 1 heads to the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix on April 4-6, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
