Lando Norris has admitted that team-mate Oscar Piastri pushed him to levels he had never reached as the pair battled for the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship.
Norris claimed his maiden World Championship during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this month.
After an intense battle between Max Verstappen and Piastri throughout the season, the Briton walked away victorious.
Following the victory, Norris acknowledged that McLaren provided him with the tools to succeed. However, he stressed that even the best car does not guarantee dominance.
“I’m lucky, the team have given me an incredible car that’s made my life very easy at times,” Norris said.
“At times, we’ve still struggled, and even I’ve struggled against Oscar, and Oscar’s done an incredible job.”
From the minute Norris was crowned champion, he continually thanked Piastri for his role in the championship fight.
Despite being rivals, Norris emphasised that the past three years have pushed him to levels he didn’t know existed, all thanks to the Australian.
“I’m glad I’ve had Oscar the last three years, because even though he’s still a lot newer to it than me, I’ve learned a lot from him, and he showed me up at many times,” Norris explained.
“I’ve managed to learn a lot from him, and I wouldn’t be the driver I am today without that.”
Since his F1 debut, Norris has had three team-mates in Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and most recently Piastri.
The 26-year-old revealed that, while integral to his career, Sainz and Ricciardo did not push the Briton to “dig deeper” in the ways Piastri has since his debut in 2023.
“Of course, also with my other team-mates, with Carlos, with Daniel, the last few years. But, he’s made me have to dig even deeper than I ever have before.”
Norris failed to meet Piastri’s mid-season benchmark
Norris’ mechanical DNF in Zandvoort was a turning point, seemingly letting a second consecutive World Championship slip through his grasp.
“Because by the midpoint of the season, he was performing better than I was, and doing a better job consistently. And then after Zandvoort, it was pretty tough,” Norris said.
The mounting pressure of the title fight seemed to impact Norris in a way not many imagined.
The time off proved crucial as the McLaren driver was able to focus on himself and tune out the various opinions and comments of F1 fans and pundits alike.
“But, we had a good break, and I managed to do everything I needed to,” Norris recalled “That’s not just driving better on track.
There are a lot of other things that go on in the background that I had to do personally to make myself better, to make myself more resilient, in all the cases, to get more out of myself, whether that’s the delta lap time and the little things that no one’s going to know for years.”
Norris praises Piastri amidst 2025 F1 title fight
Despite reclaiming the championship lead in Mexico, Norris was always aware that Piastri would fight back even stronger.
The Briton made a point of crediting both his team-mate and four-time champion Verstappen for bringing the title to the very last race.
“More than anything, I want to, of course, enjoy the moment, but also give a congrats to Oscar, and to Max, of course, for making us stress like hell the last few months,” Norris said.
“But also to Oscar, as my team-mate, I think people don’t understand how difficult it can be, like people have proven in the past, having team-mates fighting for a World Championship.
Norris admitted that racing Piastri came with unavoidable drawbacks, particularly in terms of points losses and strategic complexity.
“And we take points off of each other. We make our lives harder. Strategy is always more difficult,” he said.
“But, the team would always take that over only having one car performing for a World Championship.”
Looking ahead, Norris rated Piastri’s long-term potential highly, acknowledging that it’s only a matter of time until it’s the Australian’s turn to triumph.
“I have to give a congrats to Oscar, because he’s driven incredible and at some point, he’s going to get the better of me, because he’s an incredible driver.
“I learned a lot. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, and sadly, I’ve got a lot more seasons with him in the future. So I look forward to those tough moments as well.”
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