Lando Norris defends Oscar Piastri to the British public

Lando Norris is convinced that his supporters at the British Grand Prix will not give a hostile reception to his McLaren teammate and title rival, Oscar Piastri.

A gap that is closing between the McLaren drivers

Lando Norris is currently 15 points behind Oscar Piastri in the driver standings after securing his third victory of the season.

The 25-year-old Briton delivered an impressive performance in qualifying, securing pole position with more than half a second advantage over Charles Leclerc.

In the race, he demonstrated excellent control to withstand Oscar Piastri’s attacks during an intense battle at the front.

With the championship at stake, the pressure and tensions will only increase as the season progresses.

Asked after his victory at the Red Bull Ring, Lando Norris was questioned about any potential concerns regarding a negative reception for Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen has indeed been booed in recent years due to his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton.

I sincerely hope that this kind of thing won’t happen. British fans are generally very open towards all of us, and even more so towards us at McLaren, explained Lando Norris.

« I think the first thing is that all fans should welcome everyone and support everyone. »

Oscar Piastri also gave his opinion. « I don’t think that’s the case. Two years ago, they were even chanting my name in the crowd, which surprised me. I’m not sure it will happen again, which is normal », he explains.

Overall, I found that the fans have been quite nice to us this year. Even Max Verstappen’s fans didn’t boo us today, so it was a pleasant surprise. They’ve always welcomed me well.

« I race for a British team, and I think they are big fans of everything papaya, which includes both of us. I expect there will be a lot more Lando fans than me, but that’s normal. It’s his home Grand Prix, so I think everything will go well. »

Lando Norris aims for a first home victory

Lewis Hamilton is the only British driver to have won his home Grand Prix in the last 20 years.

Jenson Button, 2009 world champion, never even made it to the podium at Silverstone during his career.

Lando Norris, meanwhile, finished on the podium in the last two editions of the British Grand Prix, but with McLaren’s current competitiveness, it’s his best chance to win at home.

The McLaren driver assures that he does not feel any additional pressure. “For me, there is no more pressure,” said Lando Norris.

« Of course, it’s the place where I want to win more than anything, but it doesn’t change anything. It just gives me a bit more of a smile in the morning when I wake up. It’s more of a positive distraction than pressure. Now, I have my own platform, I have more reasons to motivate myself. »

« There is pressure in every race. There was pressure to win today, to be on pole yesterday. I don’t think I can put any more pressure on myself than that. It doesn’t change anything. »

« It’s rather something I’m looking forward to, something I want to savor every day, every turn, every moment, because it’s still a special moment for me to have my own platform, so many fans supporting me. I can’t wait to be there. I’d go now, but I also need a good night’s sleep! », he concluded.