A Formula 1 rookie’s transition from viewing their teammate as a benchmark to viewing them as their biggest rival—that’s what establishes them in this highly competitive sport. For Oscar Piastri, that benchmark is Lando Norris, and it’s safe to say the Brit is slowly losing that benchmark status, and he has himself to thank for it. A few weeks ago, Piastri said, “I’m happy with where I’m at driving-wise. There’s still a lot to improve, a lot to learn. I’ve got a very strong teammate to learn from who, just by being a benchmark, is a big help.” Considering how much the Aussie rookie has grown in the past six months, it begs the question: Has he become good enough to beat Norris?

Norris has been the top dog at McLaren since Carlos Sainz left in 2021. But Piastri—with his stellar talent—didn’t just bring with him a challenge but also a threat to Norris’ status at Woking. With all the confidence he has developed at McLaren, the Aussie believes he can take the fight to Norris.

Oscar Piastri believes he can have the upper hand on Lando Norris

When Piastri replaced his compatriot Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren this season, no one predicted just how quickly the rookie would get used to a car his experienced predecessor struggled to get a handle on. Following his and Norris’ struggles with the MCL60’s slow pace at the start of the season, the two have been neck-on-neck ever since the Woking squad introduced its upgrade overhaul. 

Seeing Piastri do so well, the polarizing debate that exists in every team with two equally-matched drivers arose: Who’s the better driver? In an interview with Sky Sports during this weekend’s Italian GP, Martin Brundle asked Piastri, “Can you beat Lando? Can you beat all the others?” He replied, “I think I can. I want to try and beat everyone, I’m not here to make up the numbers, I’m here to try and win, and I believe I can do that.” 

There’s no doubt Piastri has the talent and the confidence to outperform everyone on the grid if given the right machinery. No matter how close Piastri and Norris may seem off-track, at the end of the day, they’re each others’ biggest rivals, and their main objective is to outperform the other. Piastri believes he can outperform not just Norris but the entire field, and he isn’t the only one who thinks so.

Read More: After Lando Norris’ Expletive Laden Flare-Up, Oscar Piastri Exposes McLaren Over Missed Opportunities

Oscar Piastri is a future world champion

It’s easy to forget that Piastri joined F1 after a 15-month break from racing. After winning the Formula Renault Eurocup, F3, and F2 titles in consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2021, Alpine signed him as its reserve driver for 2022, only for McLaren to snatch him away. The Woking team obviously saw potential in him, but the tug-of-war with Alpine for Piastri was a gamble nonetheless. But it’s a gamble that’s paid off because he’s proving to be one of the best rookies F1 has seen in recent history.

Discussing Piastri’s performances in an interview with Speedcafe, Team Principal Andrea Stella said, “Drivers who have the potential to become world championship material need to have a natural speed, which we saw straightaway. They need to have the head—the capacity, the capability to use their talent, which Oscar establishes in an interesting way. He keeps his head very clean of noise and disturbances. So it’s a natural talent, a capability to learn, and then he’s a good person with a set of values, ethics, ethos. It is these three elements that are part of the race craft, that world champion craft, that we can see in Oscar.”

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Who will come out on top at McLaren this season: Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris?