Lando Norris reveals a change of tone in his rivalry with Oscar Piastri
Natalie Pinkham detects a slight « change » in Lando Norris as he battles Oscar Piastri for the F1 2025 title.
Sky Sports F1 presenter, Natalie Pinkham, noticed a slight change in Lando Norris’s attitude in his battle for the 2025 championship against his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri.
A healthy rivalry?
Before this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, only 10 points separate Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the top of the drivers’ standings.
The Australian had the advantage for most of the season, with five victories, three more than his teammate. But Lando Norris recently regained the advantage in Monaco by delivering a perfect race to secure the victory.
He also secured an impressive pole position, ahead of local favorite Charles Leclerc.
However, qualifying has been the weak point for the Briton this season: he has lost five times to Oscar Piastri, already more than in the entire 2024 season (where Norris led 20-4).
A slight change in Monaco
In the F1 Nation podcast, Natalie Pinkham reflected on a scene that stood out to her after qualifying in Monaco: « I noticed a slight change in him, and it was in the paddock, after qualifying in Monaco. Most drivers, when they secure pole in Monaco, raise their arms to the sky: barring any incident, it’s a guaranteed victory. He, on the other hand, was much more measured than usual. »
« I told him, ‘Wait, wait, you’re not even celebrating?’ And he replied, ‘No, no.’ I had the feeling it was either a personal decision or the result of an internal discussion, but he didn’t want to show too much to the media or the fans, and he was looking to adopt a more controlled approach. »
« And I found it interesting because it was like a mental tightening, a refocusing. And the next day, he delivered a perfect race. That’s where he scored the points and claimed his very first victory at the Monaco Grand Prix — and yes, he celebrated there. It was subtle, but to me, significant », she explains.
The battle for the F1 title intensifies in Canada.
As the F1 championship is more competitive than ever before the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, the question is: who will gain the upper hand?
McLaren remains the team to beat, despite the tightening of technical regulations around flexible wings. The Woking team even achieved its third one-two finish of the season in Barcelona.
On his side, Max Verstappen is now 49 points behind Oscar Piastri after finishing only 10th in Spain. The Dutchman will need to exercise caution after receiving a 10-second penalty for a collision with George Russell.
Read also: Flexi-gate: Steiner slams rival teams after the McLaren double in Barcelona
