Albeit “fractionally”, Martin Brundle says Oscar Piastri is the “more effective” McLaren driver compared to Lando Norris in terms of racecraft.

And according to Brundle, this is something also recognised by the reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, who went to battle with both McLarens in Miami.

Piastri ‘more effective’ than Norris: Max Verstappen agrees?

Verstappen delivered again over one lap for Red Bull by securing pole for the Miami Grand Prix, where he had Norris in the McLaren for company on the front row.

Verstappen locked up at the start into the opening chicane, giving Norris a sniff at the lead, but instead he found the run-off out of Turn 2, Norris complaining Verstappen had forced him off as he re-joined P6. The stewards did not agree.

It proved only a temporary hold-up for McLaren, Piastri eventually winning out in a thrilling multi-lap battle with Verstappen and disappearing off into the distance, while Norris later also got his move done as McLaren finished a comfortable first and second.

That is Piastri’s third Grand Prix win in a row and his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship over Norris is now 16 points, with Verstappen 32 off top spot.

And according to Brundle, Piastri has emerged as the “more effective and clinical” McLaren driver when it comes to racecraft, something which he believes is not lost on Verstappen.

In his post-Miami GP Sky Sports column, Brundle wrote: “Norris was assisted by a convenient Safety Car to win the sprint race, just as he was in winning the Grand Prix last year, but having to avoid Verstappen’s Red Bull sliding around in the first two corners of the main race on Sunday cost him a chance of another outright victory.

“Max wasn’t having a McLaren slip up the inside of Turn 1 and claim the high ground again, as happened in Jeddah, but he arrived a bit too hot and locked up the front tyres. Lando went underneath him and hit the throttle, the road was clear ahead, and he had the pack on his tail, it was the only thing he could and should have done.

“But Max had another twitch in Turn 2 and suddenly Lando, now on the outside, quickly ran out of space and was obliged to take to the runoff zone, costing him four positions.

“Once Piastri had dispatched [Kimi] Antonelli for second place, he set about hunting down the leader Verstappen with some gusto. Piastri has great racecraft and it’s fractionally more effective and clinical than Norris, and Verstappen knows that too.

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“On Lap 14 Piastri would eventually coerce Verstappen onto the defensive into Turn 1, both in terms of forcing him offline and tight to the inside and having to brake too late. Piastri instinctively saw the Red Bull slide developing and adjusted his position perfectly before ducking underneath and seizing a lead he would never relinquish.

“Meanwhile Norris made his way past the Williams of Alex Albon and both Mercedes of Antonelli and George Russell, in some style it must be said.

“But Norris couldn’t quite put Verstappen under the same tactical pressure as Piastri did, and by the time he finally slipped by for good on Lap 18, having had to yield back the position to Verstappen on the previous lap for overtaking off track, his team-mate Piastri was nine seconds up the road.”

Norris would whittle down Piastri’s lead, but it remained a relatively comfortable win for the Aussie who crossed the line 4.6 seconds ahead.

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