Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have formed one of the most exciting young driver pairings in F1, pushing McLaren back to the front of the grid with their blend of raw speed, consistency, and mutual respect.
McLaren took its MCL39 to the Silverstone track for its inaugural test, marking a significant step as the team prepares to defend its 2024 Constructors’ Championship title.
Reflecting on the team’s strategy when talking to Sky Sports, Oscar Piastri emphasised the importance of innovation, even within stable regulations:
“I mean, we’re obviously going into the same regs this year, but it’s, you know, we’ve not stood still. There’s some things that are different, some new innovations on this car, and I think that’s what you need to do to try and stay at the top.
“We’ve seen in the past that, when it’s not been us winning, other teams have been constantly putting new things on their car and not standing still as well.
“So I think also, through last season, we, of course, came out on top in the Constructors’ Championship, but it was so tight through the whole season. So you really can’t afford to stand still because there’s a lot of teams waiting to try and overtake us.”
Looking back at the 2024 McLaren campaign
The 2024 season was a landmark for McLaren, as Lando Norris secured victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, clinching the team’s first Constructors’ Championship in 26 years. Norris led the race from start to finish, while Piastri faced challenges, finishing tenth after an early collision with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. This triumph marked the first time in the current engine era that a customer team, rather than a factory team, claimed the title.
Looking ahead, Piastri is optimistic about his prospects for the Drivers’ Championship in 2025:
“I mean, hopefully, yes. The sport’s moved on a lot in the last 15 years, but I think I’m definitely going into this year with the aim and preparation for trying to challenge for a championship and trying to challenge for both championships. So, I think with the success we had last year, it would be silly to try and prepare for anything less, of course.”
The respect stays
The dynamic between Norris and Piastri at McLaren has been a focal point, especially given the competitive nature of F1. Piastri addressed this, stating:
“Yeah, I think it will definitely stay respectful. I think part of our success has been that we’ve worked together so well as a team.
“I think for myself and Lando, we’ve always, from the first two years working together, we’ve always been trying to get ourselves to first and second, and then kind of fight amongst ourselves, and we’re not too far away from being able to do that now.
“But, I think we’ve proven time and time again that we’re incredibly respectful, have a lot of respect for each other. We’re going to race each other hard, of course, but, we’re going to make sure that we both finish first and second, if that’s where we are.”
A comparison to 2010
Drawing parallels to the 2010 season, Piastri noted the potential for a similarly tight championship battle.
“I think it’s going to be a very tight year. Last year was incredibly tight. I think it was the closest season we’ve had in, you know, probably going back to that 2010 season. And I’m expecting probably more of the same this year. Ferrari had a very strong run at the end of last season, Mercedes, in the correct conditions, were also very strong, and Max with Red Bull also had their strong races towards the end of the season.
“So, I think it’s going to be a tough year, a very, very tight year and I think definitely an exciting one to watch as a fan.”
The 2010 Formula One World Championship was renowned for its intense competition, culminating in Sebastian Vettel securing his first Drivers’ Championship with Red Bull Racing. The season finale in Abu Dhabi was particularly dramatic, with four drivers—Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton—contending for the title. Vettel won the title over Webber in the end.
As the 2025 season approaches, McLaren focuses on innovation, teamwork, and strategic excellence.
