Oscar Piastri makes key Lando Norris request in McLaren’s Red Bull pursuit
Oscar Piastri asks Lando Norris a crucial question in McLaren’s chase of Red Bull.
Oscar Piastri, who will be starting his sophomore season in 2024, says he wants to make sure he and Lando Norris race with respect.
The youthful Australian climbed up to Formula 1 in excellent style in 2023, when the rookie compared favorably against his seasoned and gifted colleague Lando Norris.
Over the course of a single lap, Piastri’s performance was comparable to Norris’s, which produced some impressive qualifying results for McLaren. However, over the duration of a Grand Prix, Norris typically had the upper hand on his youthful colleague.
Oscar Piastri: It’s critical that we collaborate.
The MCL60 concluded with McLaren making every effort to get closer to leaders Red Bull.
So, it’s still very important for us to work together and help the team develop the car.
“The team back at MTC and the engineers here are all doing their best to try and help things. But if me and Lando have got any additional info or directions on things, then anything we can do to help is going to help both of us.
“In terms of data and stuff like that, it’s all completely open. There are no barriers or anything and that won’t change.
“We just need to make sure that our racing is respectful. But apart from that, it’s all good.”
With McLaren having a dismal start to 2023, he said his aim had remained the same throughout the year – to compare well against the known performance level of Norris.
“I was still always going to be compared to Lando, whether we were fighting for last and second last or first and second,” he said.
“So, those comparisons were always still going to be there.
“But maybe in terms of outright results, maybe there wasn’t quite the pressure to achieve big points or podiums or whatever straight away. But that comparison was still there.
“I was still trying to learn as quickly as I could and try and help the team the best I could. It didn’t really lessen things.”
