When Lando Norris collided with Oscar Piastri in the closing stages of the Canadian Grand Prix, it felt like a moment in F1’s chequered 75-year history had repeated itself.
It echoed the collision between McLaren teammates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at Suzuka 30 years prior, or when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg wiped each other out in Barcelona.
To borrow a phrase from a well-known football manager, this is F1 racing heritage.
Norris was expected to lash out at Piastri and blame him for nearly throwing away valuable points that secured their lead over rivals in the Constructors’ Championship.
Instead, he took the blame for the accident and moved on swiftly by taking victory at the following race in Austria. It’s unusual for an athlete to admit to making a mistake, especially as they opt for the ‘me versus the narrative’ strategy that stokes tension in their team.
Norris reacted with resilience after Canada, showcasing how far his mental strength had come since admitting in his rookie year that he felt “depressed” and had self-doubts [via Sky Sports].
It avoided the unwanted attention and speculation that could’ve derailed McLaren’s coming-of-age year, and perhaps gave some insight into why this title rivalry is unlike any that has ever happened in F1.
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesWhy Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris title fight hasn’t turned sour
McLaren’s dominance this season is not like Red Bull’s in 2023; they are still going into races unsure that they can pull it off simply because of how close the field has become. Charles Leclerc’s unexpected pole in Hungary and Max Verstappen’s tendency to show up when it matters on race weekends mean McLaren are being kept on their toes, and it requires a full team effort.
There have been so many instances beyond the collision in Canada where things could’ve turned sour between Norris and Piastri the same way they did with Hamilton and Rosberg. The team was unwilling to swap cars in Silverstone after a penalty for Piastri that they didn’t agree with, or going down a car design route that initially impacted Norris’ driving style.
Either of those would’ve been enough to make things nuclear at the height of the Mercedes title race between 2014 and 2016, but McLaren team principal Andrea Stella thinks they have only strengthened their relationship.
“The relationship between Oscar and Lando keeps improving. This is not the effect of a random evolution. This is because we invest in relationships. When I refer to the fundamentals of F1, relationships are probably slightly less tangible, but I think they are as fundamental as aerodynamics,” said Stella.
“This involves the relationship between drivers and the team and between the drivers themselves. If I take the race we had last year in Hungary, we spent quite a lot of time reviewing that individually with the drivers and together. We tried to learn from each other as much as possible. We reminded ourselves that F1 is difficult, and we are always going to face some difficulties. This is an awareness we need to have.”
Andrea Stella is not wrong, McLaren is ‘lucky’ to have Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Norris has been devoted to the McLaren cause since he signed to their driver academy, forging a close relationship with CEO Zak Brown in the process.
When they failed to initially capitalise on the new regulation cycle in 2022, the Briton could’ve easily been in the running for a seat at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen after praise from Helmut Marko. Instead, he stuck with the McLaren project, and now he’s reaping the rewards.
Having worked with Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher when they demanded teams work towards their interests, Stella knows that this doesn’t come around often in F1.
“I’m a lucky team principal because the two drivers are very reasonable, very fair, very correct, humble, and above all, they understand that we are here not only to pursue our interest in the present but also to protect the future of their own careers and of McLaren Racing,” said Stella.
We all want our drivers to be ruthless on track, but McLaren’s management of the Norris and Piastri battle is a tribute to a key word in their team name: Racing. That’s what we’re all here for, and we’re lucky to be watching two drivers who are willing to sacrifice their own interests in a bid to make things a fair and entertaining sporting contest.