McLaren has finally produced a car capable of winning a championship, but it now has two drivers—Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris—that go about their craft in very different ways. The question is, who’s more likely to take their first Formula 1 drivers’ title?
Oscar Piastri, the cerebral assassin. He races like he’s solving a complex puzzle at 300kph. Methodical, calm, and precise, he makes very few mistakes. Andrea Stella described him as having “no noise” in his head, clinical from lights out to checkered flag.
He neither celebrates victory nor embraces defeat. His mother recounts a story where she and Oscar were cycling, and she went over the handlebars. He was wearing a heart rate monitor, and when they got home, they looked at the reading—it shot up when he saw the crash. “So you do have a heart,” she said. “You just rarely show it!”
Oscar has methodically worked through any driving weaknesses. Understanding the nuances of each track, tire management, and a qualifying deficit to Lando had all been chinks in his armor...but not anymore. Now he drives with such authority that the other drivers respond differently to him when they go wheel to wheel. He exudes confidence, and his competitors feel it.
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Then there’s Lando Norris—charismatic, mercurial, and with star quality. He wears his heart on his sleeve. His pace is undeniable, especially in qualifying, and when he is on form, he can extract magic from the car. His tendency to publicly criticize himself is one of the more intriguing aspects of his personality, and one that sets him apart from his peers (except for maybe Charles Leclerc), because in an era where drivers are often media trained to within an inch of their lives, Lando is refreshingly open, and at times brutally honest.
His self-criticism shows a high degree of self-awareness and accountability. When he underperforms or makes a strategic misjudgment, he rarely blames the team or circumstances—he owns it. I love this openness; it makes for much more compelling interviews, for a start. It’s endearing and relatable, and earns him respect from fans around the world. It also shows a strong internal drive to improve. As Sebastian Vettel told us recently on Sky Sports, it is the most natural thing in the world to doubt yourself, and yet it is the most unnatural to talk about it.
However, there is a fine line between self-assessment and self-flagellation. Overdo it and it could take a toll on his confidence, and undermine that of the team around him. His introspective streak can be powerful fuel for growth, but it also raises questions about how well Lando manages the psychological pressure of competing at the highest level. It makes him relatable but also vulnerable.
So we have one very fast car, two drivers ready for the biggest stage, and only one drivers’ championship up for grabs. Zak Brown has a role to play here: Managing the rivalry and eventually enforcing team orders, because there are a handful of others (including Max eyeing up his fifth consecutive world title) who are gathering vital points while the two McLarens take bites out of each other. Place your bets.
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
