Oscar Piastri isn\u2019t worried about taking on \u201cSuperman\u201d in a papaya regulations era, instead he\u2019s just looking to beat reigning champion Lando Norris to the F1 2026 as his teammate.<\/p>\n
And he sees no reason why it cannot or will not happen.<\/p>\n
Oscar Piastri targets Lando Norris in F1 2026 title fight<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n McLaren won the F1 2025 Drivers\u2019 title with Lando Norris behind the wheel last season when the Briton overturned his deficit to Piastri to surge ahead. While Piastri<\/a> struggled on the low-grip tracks in the latter part of the season, Norris finally shrugged aside his hoodoos and came to the fore.<\/p>\n Winning in Mexico and Brazil, the latter being Norris\u2019 most dominant win, the Briton took the lead in the standings and all he had to do was, easier said than done, stay ahead in the final three races.<\/p>\n Despite Norris and Piastri\u2019s DSQs in Las Vegas, the Briton needed just a P4 and P3 to beat Max Verstappen to the title by two points while Piastri was the big loser \u2013 DSQ, P2, P3 putting him 11 points down.<\/p>\n But he was quick to shrug it off, refusing to blame questionable McLaren team orders.<\/p>\n Instead the Australian is focusing on the F1 2026 season with new optimism that this could be his year.<\/p>\n \u201cI expect that we will both be allowed to race hard and fairly and do our very best, both on a personal level and team level,\u201d he told Pole Position.<\/p>\n \u201cI am sure that there will be discussions and natural evolution as things get tweaked as they have done since I joined the team, but I think the basis will be the same.<\/p>\n Speaking specifically about Norris, he added: \u201cFor me, he\u2019s obviously had a great season \u2026 and he\u2019s a deserving champion, but he\u2019s still Lando Norris.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like he\u2019s become Superman!\u201d<\/p>\n Although it was Ferrari\u2019s Charles Leclerc who showed the better pace in the final test, and the better launches, rivals reckon Mercedes were holding something back.<\/p>\n \u201cMercedes,\u201dsaid Piastri, \u201cseem reasonably confident about the development of the engine and we, as a team, feel positive but the real litmus test is going to be Melbourne,<\/p>\n \u201cUntil every team shows their cards and unleashes the true potential of their cars, it is a guessing game.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, there is absolutely the chance that some teams might develop original ideas and start strong. Changes in regulation allow Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n
that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n