Yesterday’s news that Lando Norris has extended his contract with McLaren means he and Oscar Piastri will remain partners for years to come. Although the duration of the agreement has not been specified, it is known that it is multi-year in nature and therefore they will have to work together at least until the end of 2026.
At the same time, Lando emphasized that the 22-year-old Australian, who only made his debut in Formula 1 last season, is already pushing him harder than his previous partner, the much more experienced Daniel Ricciardo.
During an interview with Sky Sports, Norris was asked whether it would be more difficult to beat a teammate like Piastri than his predecessor, who was also from Australia.
“It’s already possible, and last year he gave me a serious challenge,” Lando replied. “I think we work very well together.” I think Oscar is an exceptionally talented driver, but also a real hard worker, and I enjoy working with him.
It’s great when you’re pushed more actively. On the one hand you don’t like it, on the other hand this can only be welcomed, because when I fight for victories I have to be sure that I am in the best shape and ready for any challenge. If your partner knows how to push you, it only contributes to your better preparation.
This is exactly what happened to me last year. Oscar was very effective in helping the team, and he and I worked well together because we had a common goal. We both want to be champions, we want to win races, but we are not going to achieve this through mutual hatred and disagreements.
When both partners start claiming victories in races, things inevitably change, but the team needed Oscar’s help. I am ready for a long-term collaboration with him and I foresee that there are many duels ahead of us on the track.
McLaren is the team I want to become world champion with. It was the team that brought me to Formula 1 and gave me this opportunity. In a way I feel indebted to all these people, I consider myself part of this family and working at McLaren gives me pleasure. I don’t want to move to another team that I don’t like working with. What excites me most is the upward trajectory that McLaren is currently on.”
When asked directly whether he fears direct competition with Max Verstappen if they became partners, Norris replied: “Can Max be considered the best Formula 1 driver? Of course, and he proved this convincingly. He plays for a team that he feels quite comfortable with and that is largely built around him, making it incredibly difficult to compete with Max.
But when they ask me if I’m afraid of competing with him, I answer: of course not. I’m not afraid of competing with anyone. But if you join a team and have to challenge someone right away, you’re probably not going to feel comfortable. I think every racer will say this, because it always takes time to adapt, to get used to working in a new place.
And it’s clear that when the best racer in the world becomes your partner, it’s not the best situation. The decision to switch to such a team cannot be called a smart one. But I enjoy competing with Max on the track, and the battles we’ve had already have given me a lot of pleasure. I believe our battle will continue in the coming season.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
