Norris 'nervous' but ready for closer racing with Piastri
03/26/2025 10:06 AM
Lando Norris admits to feeling both nervous and excited about the prospect of going wheel-to-wheel with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
With both drivers taking a win apiece in the opening two rounds of the season, the fight for supremacy within the team is already shaping up to be one of the sport's biggest talking points.
However, with no team orders restricting their on-track battles, Norris acknowledged that a tense but thrilling campaign awaits.
A Big Rivalry in the Making
"We are ready," Norris told the media post-race in Shanghai. "We were free to race. I didn't have the pace to get up to Oscar, and he drove very well. So he deserved it. Same last weekend."
Despite McLaren allowing both drivers to fight freely, Norris downplayed suggestions that their battle is already boiling over.
"There were those two laps that I know everyone loves to talk about where we just held position, but the rest of it, we were free to race. So I'm sure we're going to have some closer racing at some point.
"I think we're both excited – probably nervous and excited at the same time – as I'm sure the team will be. But we're ready."
Friendship vs. Competition
McLaren is one of only two teams that retained its driver line-up over the winter, with both Norris and Piastri committed to long-term contracts.
While they currently enjoy a strong working relationship, Norris is fully aware that tensions will inevitably escalate as the stakes grow higher.
"We know that as much as we work together and we have a good time and enjoy ourselves, we both know we want to try and beat each other and show who's best," Norris admitted.
"And that's inevitable. So there's no point trying to hide away from that fact or make something of it."
Eyes on the Prize—and the Field
While focused on their rivalry, Norris remains wary of external threats. So a degree of collaboration out on the track between McLaren's chargers is important.
"We're two competitors who both want to win. But we help each other out. I think we both achieved something better [in China] because of that fact," commented Norris.
"We'll continue to do that. So I'm sure at the minute it's going to be like that, but at any point other teams can find something.
"Other teams have talked about upgrades and stuff already and they can catch up quicker than you think, just like we did last year.
"So as much as we're doing that, we also have to think as a team and keep pushing the team forward from that side."
While mutual respect remains, the balance between teamwork and personal ambition will be tested as the season unfolds.
For now, the duo is embracing the challenge, but as Norris himself admitted, the tension is only just beginning.
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