Lando Norris told he must consider working with 53-win F1 legend to combat Oscar Piastri and Mark Webber’s off-track relationship

McLaren driver Lando Norris would have known before the 2025 Formula 1 season started that a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity might present itself this year.

Lando Norris won his first Formula 1 race just over 12 months ago in Miami, and since then, he’s catapulted himself into title contention.

The 25-year-old has displayed moments of incredible potential throughout his F1 career, but suddenly, McLaren had built a car capable of consistently winning races.

Max Verstappen proved impossible to beat last season, using the advantage he’d already built up in the drivers’ championship to his advantage.

Norris had to deal with Verstappen’s aggressive driving tactics and to this day, he’s still struggling in his on-track battles with the Dutchman.

However, he has a 16-point advantage over the four-time world champion but faces an even tougher test much closer to home.

His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri is currently leading the championship and has won four of the first six Grand Prix.

Piastri is benefitting from his relationship with Mark Webber and Norris has been told by Timo Glock that he might need to seriously consider some reinforcements of his own.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

Lando Norris told to consider hiring Sebastian Vettel or Nico Rosberg as advisors

Journalist Peter Hardenacke was speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast about the battle between Piastri and Norris and the benefit the Australian has gained from working alongside Webber.

He said, “Do you think that might be a solution for Lando, that he brings someone into the team who has that experience, who has been through it all before?

“This constant battle with himself, these different states of aggregation over the whole weekends, from being on top of his game to being completely depressed, sometimes changing several times in one day.

“Do you think it would be a possibility to get someone? A Sebastian Vettel or a Nico Rosberg who might be on the market?”

Glock responded, “It can certainly help if you have someone with Formula 1 experience, someone with whom you can discuss situations like this.

“But in the end, you’re sitting alone in the car and making decisions. I always have the feeling that even though you have to make decisions in milliseconds at the start of a race or in certain situations, he still thinks about it in his head for too long and doesn’t decide instinctively from his gut what to do.

“That’s what it seems to me that Oscar Piastri does. He’s just in the middle of a situation and makes the right decision most of the time and Lando is always so undecided.

“I don’t know, he’s a bit lost with himself. But yes, there is the possibility if you have someone, as I said, an ex-racer who has been through a similar situation, it is always good to talk to them on or between races. That might be an option.”

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg are both big Lando Norris fans

Vettel and Rosberg have 53 and 23 Grand Prix victories respectively and five world championships between them.

Rosberg is occasionally spotted working as a pundit in the Formula 1 paddock, while Vettel is far less involved in the sport.

However, both drivers have been keeping a close eye on Norris over the past 12 months.

Rosberg backed Norris to be world champion this year at the conclusion of last season.

That was off the back of his imperious win in Abu Dhabi at the end of last year where he won McLaren the constructors’ championship by holding off both Ferrari drivers.

The 25-year-old has been outspoken about his approach to the season, and Vettel has praised Norris for being so open about his feelings and frustrations.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Vettel explained, “We’re all having good times and bad times, whether we are Formula 1 drivers or having a regular job. Aren’t we all like that? We have better days and worse days.

“The threat now is that people talk about what he’s maybe going through, and interpret it as a sign of weakness. Like, ‘Why is he doing that? What’s going on with him? What’s wrong with him?’

“Nothing’s wrong with him. I think everybody’s going through the same things in different phases of your life. Self-doubt is the most natural thing there is, but it’s the most unnatural thing to talk about, and that is wrong.

“So, I think it’s completely fine and I think it’s very courageous of him to open up and talk about that side of him. And I wish and I hope that the media picks it up and turns it a little bit around.”

Norris could do far worse than ask Vettel for advice, and fans would love to see him go head-to-head with his old Red Bull teammate Webber once again.