According to F1 analyst Martin Brundle, McLaren could face a decision on whether to back Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris sooner rather than later in the current Formula 1 championship battle.
Entering the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend, Piastri holds a 16-point lead over his teammate Norris. McLaren`s strong performance, particularly their successful Sprint weekend, has helped them close the gap to Max Verstappen, who is now 32 points adrift of the championship leader.
The Miami Grand Prix highlighted McLaren`s potential, with their lead over third-placed George Russell exceeding half a minute. After six rounds, Russell trails Piastri by 38 points.
Speaking on The F1 Show, Brundle commented on the challenge McLaren faces. “The problem McLaren are going to have is if Max Verstappen and George Russell keep pumping in the results,” he noted, also mentioning Mercedes` anticipated update at Imola. “If they`re there, there`s no doubt in my mind that Piastri and Norris will take points off each other. So they`ve got to be careful that they`re not so focused on each other that somebody else comes in and wins the championship, as Alain Prost did in 1986.”
Unlike McLaren, Verstappen doesn`t currently face a significant threat from his Red Bull teammate (Yuki Tsunoda) taking points away, allowing him to maximize his haul and remain a credible championship contender.
Both Red Bull and Mercedes are expected to rely on upcoming upgrades during the next triple-header and potential rule changes, like the clampdown on flexible wings at the Spanish Grand Prix, to improve their performance and potentially challenge McLaren more closely.
“The problem McLaren have got is, if you wait until somebody is mathematically out of the world championship, that`s going to be October, November time, in this championship,” Brundle explained. “So, McLaren might have to take a decision before that to make a choice. It depends how it unfolds, but they won`t be thinking about that until the summer break, at least.”
Does Verstappen Race Piastri Differently to Norris?
Miami provided an opportunity to see Verstappen battle wheel-to-wheel with both McLaren drivers over several laps. While Piastri had overtaken Verstappen previously (in the rain in Melbourne and Saudi Arabia), the Miami encounter involved sustained racing combat.
Norris has experienced Verstappen`s aggressive racing style in the past, often coming out second best in battles that denied him victories in 2023.
Asked about Verstappen`s approach to the two McLaren drivers, Brundle stated, “100 per cent, unquestionably. I think he knows that there`s something a bit more street fighter about Oscar Piastri, and he saw it in Jeddah.”
He continued, “I think Max knows he`s got a different animal when Oscar`s in his mirrors, not by much, than Lando. Just the positioning of the car, there`s a decisiveness about what he did. You can`t criticise Lando`s race craft because the way he passed the Mercedes, and eventually Max, was top drawer. But somehow, I have absolutely no doubt, and just words he says as well, that Max realises Oscar`s a different deal in wheel-to-wheel combat.”
“There`s just something in the way… Lando`s not quite as decisive how he places the car when he`s overtaking, and he`ll learn from that,” Brundle added. “I think that`s exactly where they are but I wouldn`t say that`s going to stay like that for the rest of the season.”
Piastri Favourite for the Championship?
Coming into the season, Norris was often seen as a co-favourite alongside Verstappen, especially after outperforming Piastri in the previous year and with McLaren on an upward trend.
However, since a mistake in the opening Australian Grand Prix where he went wide and spun, Piastri`s performance has shifted. He has since outscored Norris by 39 points over the subsequent five events.
Brundle assessed Piastri`s recent form: “He`s won four of the last six and is just looking like absolute world championship material. I think his rate of improvement has been pretty mighty, and he picks things up really quickly.”
“Towards the end of last year, I think we saw this kind of potential. Did I expect it to arrive in such style so quickly? Probably no, I didn`t,” Brundle admitted. “He`s just winning, winning, winning and he looks so confident about it and he`s so unflustered about anything and everything. He`s just got it there. I think his racecraft is a touch stronger than Lando`s.”
