What McLaren insiders keep saying about Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s relationship as F1 title battle intensifies

McLaren have already managed to build up a 58-point lead in the constructors’ championship after just four race weekends.

What might be even more surprising to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is that Mercedes appear to be their closest rivals, despite Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s lack of experience alongside George Russell.

In order to win the constructors’ championship, you almost always require two world-class drivers, and that’s exactly what McLaren have.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are separated by just three points in the drivers’ standings, and unless one of their rivals makes a remarkable step forward, they should comfortably deliver a second consecutive constructors’ title for McLaren.

However, over the next 20 race weekends, the dynamic between Norris and Piastri is likely to shift.

Piastri has already been subject to team orders this season, but he took those out of the equation at the Bahrain Grand Prix by dominating the event from start to finish.

Norris was left questioning his ability to handle this year’s McLaren during the event, and admitted that he’s not completely comfortable in the MCL39.

It would be a surprise if things don’t change between the two drivers as the intensity of the campaign increases, but for now, McLaren are still very happy with how their drivers are working together.

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Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have ‘mutual respect’ for each other at McLaren

Journalist Tim Hauraney was speaking on the Nailing The Apex Podcast after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Hauraney was asked how Norris and Piastri’s relationship will change if they’re still this close in the championship halfway through the season and responded: “Let’s start at the beginning of their relationship first because, I hear from the team quite often and one of the things that is always repeated is their mutual respect for one another, both drivers.

“When they look at the data of what each driver is doing as they can see what each other are doing, they’re very complimentary of each other.

“So, if Oscar’s doing one thing in a corner, and Lando is not, Lando is seeing that and trying to replicate what Oscar’s doing.

“If Oscar’s seeing what Lando is doing in a different corner, and Lando’s faster, Oscar’s trying to take that on board and make himself do what Lando’s doing so he can be just as fast as Lando in that corner.

“And so that’s where the finer details are, when you get to a track and break it all down corner by corner and then you start comparing yourself with your teammate in each order and what they are doing, and learning from them, and you’re able to adapt what they’re doing into your style, that’s huge, that’s massive.”

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

Mark Webber shares what he told Oscar Piastri after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix

Both Norris and Piastri will have built teams around them designed to help them maximise their performance at every race.

Piastri’s manager is former Red Bull driver Mark Webber, who has plenty of experience when it comes to racing for a title-winning team.

Webber shared what he told Piastri after winning in Bahrain, and it’s the perfect message to keep the young driver grounded and focused if he’s going to try and defeat Norris this season.

Stella and McLaren CEO Zak Brown will hope that the situation between their two drivers never reaches the point where they have to step in, but they’ll both be prepared to do so to make sure their bid to win the constructors’ championship isn’t affected.

Piastri having Webber in his corner does give him an edge over Norris, but he now needs to utilise it on track to go on and win his first title.