Oscar Piastri believes McLaren’s surge to the front of the 2025 grid has set the stage for a season-long battle, not just with Max Verstappen but within the Papaya garage itself. Coming off a dominant performance at the 2025 F1 Miami GP, where both McLarens were untouchable on pace, Piastri admitted that keeping Lando Norris behind may prove as tricky as challenging the Red Bull.
“Both very different challenges,” he said after the race. “On days like today, our two cars were clearly the best in the field by some margin. I know how strong Lando is as a driver, being his teammate now for a couple of years. It’s never easy. But also, racing Max is never easy, as we saw.
“In the long term this season, it’s clearly going to be a strong fight between Lando and I, but both are challenging.”
A shift in tone and performance for McLaren
This marks a remarkable turnaround for McLaren, who were lapped twice in Miami just two seasons ago. Piastri attributes the transformation to the team’s consistent efforts and long-term vision finally bearing fruit.
“The determination and the hard work have always been there. Even two years ago, we knew that things were in the pipeline to help us come back to the front,” he explained.
He pointed to Norris’s breakthrough win in 2024 as a sign of things to come and a catalyst for their current momentum.
“Last year with Lando’s win, that was nice for the whole team in terms of finally having a car capable of winning a race again, on merit.
“Miami last season was the turning point in winning races because we could be the quickest on track. That’s an incredible place to be. Now, it’s a continuation of that.”
Oscar Piastri remains realistic despite championship lead
Despite a 35-second win margin, and a widening gap at the top of the standings, Piastri remains grounded. He emphasised the team’s awareness of the broader competitive picture.
”The determination and hard work are still identical, just the joy and the celebrations are a bit more frequent, which is nice. But we know we have a lot of competition.”
He highlighted the variability in McLaren’s performance across different circuits, pointing to Saudi Arabia as an example.
“Clearly, we do have a strong advantage at the moment, but not every weekend has looked like this. Saudi last weekend, our competition was very close, and we didn’t have it that comfortably,” Piastri explained. “This weekend is a very different story, but I don’t expect every weekend to look like this.
“I think we have the advantage everywhere we go. Sometimes it’s a little, sometimes a lot. Clearly, in this position now, we have a lot of focus on next year. We want to make sure we win both championships this year and put ourselves in a good spot for next year.”
He also acknowledged the strategic difficulties that come with being the frontrunner, particularly in terms of aerodynamic development limits.
“Being first now means we have less tunnel time, less development time. That’s something we’ve enjoyed over our competitors for the last few years. So there are going to be challenges with being at the front, but it’s an incredible place to be.”
Piastri addresses rivalry with Lando Noris
With McLaren now in a genuine title fight, comparisons to past intra-team rivalries are emerging. However, Piastri believes the dynamic between himself and Norris is constructive and aligned with the team’s long-term ambitions.
“It’s always been close between us. It’s going to be a good battle. There will be weekends where Lando is stronger and weekends where I am stronger. We’re very aware of the fact that we want this success for as long as we’re at McLaren, which is a very long time for both of us., he said.
“We’re aware there’s going to be a fight. We both want to become world champions, obviously. But we don’t just want one opportunity at this success. We want it for the next however many years, and that’s an important and an easy thing to keep in mind for us and the whole team.”
Piastri also reflected on the unique dynamics of racing a teammate, acknowledging both the insights and the complications that come with it.
“We know pretty much exactly how one another drives. We know our strong points, maybe some of our weaker points. So from that side, you have more information, but it goes both ways. We both know we’ve got the same car, so that removes one factor.
“But there are other complications with having the same car. You can have the same strengths and weaknesses on track.
“So it’s difficult like that. Then there’s the pit strategies and whatever that becomes a factor when you’re in the same team. There are positives and negatives.”
One thing is clear—McLaren is no longer chasing the frontrunners. They are now the benchmark, and after their performance in Miami, the rest of the grid will be trying to catch them—on two fronts.
