Lando Norris has acknowledged that McLaren may feel some nerves as he and teammate Oscar Piastri battle it out for the Formula One World Championship this season.
With both drivers having secured one win each in the opening two rounds, McLaren’s early dominance is clear, and the British team’s declaration of a free-for-all race between their drivers signals a potential head-to-head showdown.
Piastri’s victory in China on Sunday added extra fuel to the growing intra-team rivalry.
Although Norris, 25, and Piastri, 23, have been given the green light to race each other, Norris admitted that while it could be exciting, it also brings inevitable tension.
“We were free to race in Australia and China, and I’m sure we’ll have some closer racing in the future,” Norris said. “We’re both excited but, at the same time, a little nervous – I’m sure the team is too. But we’re ready.”
Currently, Norris holds an eight-point advantage over Max Verstappen and a 10-point lead over Piastri, heading into the next race in Japan.
“Besides Ferrari with Hamilton and Leclerc, I don’t think any other team has two drivers pushing each other as much as we do,” Norris continued. “That’s a huge advantage for us and something we’ll maximize. It’s helping us beat every other team right now.”
However, Norris, who openly admits his competitive nature, knows that their friendly rivalry will eventually shift into one of direct competition.
“As much as we work together and enjoy ourselves, we both want to win and show who’s best,” Norris said. “There’s no hiding that. We’re two competitors who want to come out on top.”
The possibility of a deteriorating team dynamic is a concern that many will recall from the toxic rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes between 2014 and 2016. However, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is confident that Norris and Piastri will avoid that fate.
“We’ve been preparing for internal competition for a long time now,” Stella said. “But like all things in F1, it would be arrogant to say ‘we are ready.’ The scenarios are complex and unpredictable. We learn as we go.”
Stella is optimistic about McLaren's future, citing the healthy team dynamics between Norris and Piastri.
“What’s important is that both drivers share the fundamental values of supporting the team’s best interests,” Stella explained. “Oscar and Lando bring that naturally. There may be situations, but I’m confident that we will handle them and continue to grow in how we manage the team’s interests.”
