Piastri sure 2025 title result won’t change McLaren duo’s vibe

Oscar Piastri says McLaren teammate Lando Norris does not become a more formidable opponent in 2026 just because he won a world championship last season.

McLaren allowed both drivers to fight for the title in 2025, with Norris coming out on top of a three-way battle that also included Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi. With Norris now able to carry the No. 1 on his car and the defending champion in the same team, Piastri doesn’t expect the dynamic between the two to be any different in the new season.

“I don’t think that will change anything,” Piastri said. “For me, he’s obviously had a great season and a deserving champion, but he’s still Lando Norris. It’s not like he’s become Superman. So, I don’t think things will change with that.

“I’m expecting full fairness from the team and equality going forward. I don’t have any concerns that that will change at all. Clearly, Lando’s had a very strong season and ultimately did a better job.”

There were very few controversies that saw the two McLaren drivers directly at odds during 2025, with the pair often collaborative even after collisions. While Piastri acknowledges the internal battle was not always perfectly handled, he believes the double championships vindicates the team’s approach.

“I think it is a testament to the way we go racing," he said. "Obviously, it’s not easy fighting for both the constructors’ championship and the drivers’ championship with two very evenly matched drivers. But ultimately, that’s a problem we knew we were going to have. At the end of the day, I think there’s a lot of good things that come from that.

“Yes, there’s difficult moments and tension at times, but I think both Lando and I have become better drivers from pushing each other to the limit. Sometimes that’s been uncomfortable for everyone, but ultimately it’s been a good thing.

“We’ve had a lot of discussions through the year, and I’m sure we’ll have discussions in the off-season about anything we want to do slightly differently for next year. But I think at the end of the day, they gave us both as good a chance as the team could have to fairly fight for a world championship, and that’s all you can ask for.”