Oscar Piastri has made light of the tense McLaren relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso as he enters an intense Formula 1 title battle with teammate Lando Norris.
The McLaren duo have begun to gain ground on Max Verstappen and George Russell in the fight for the championship this season. Their impressive performance at the Miami Grand Prix, where they secured a one-two finish, marked their first since the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix, and temporarily pushed the Red Bull and Mercedes drivers behind.
After the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen now trails Piastri by 32 points, while Norris sits 16 points behind his teammate. Russell, who finished further behind, is six points adrift.
However, battles between teammates at McLaren have not always ended smoothly. Historic rivalries, like that between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, as well as the infamous 2007 season between Hamilton and Alonso, are well-known in F1. That season culminated in the Spygate scandal, where McLaren was fined $100 million and lost the constructors’ championship.
The chaotic rivalry between rookie Hamilton and two-time champion Alonso led to the Spaniard leaving McLaren at the end of the season. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen eventually won the title by just one point, a fact that Piastri jokingly referenced when asked if McLaren’s current internal battle could resemble the 2007 showdown between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
“We’ve said we’re trying to repeat 2007, so… I don’t know,” Piastri joked with the media, including RacingNews365.
Taking the question more seriously, he added, “We know we both have our strengths. It’s always close between us. It’s going to be a good battle. There will be weekends where Lando is stronger, and weekends where I am stronger.”
Piastri left the Miami International Autodrome with a 16-point lead over Norris in the standings, despite finishing second to him in the sprint race.
Clarifying his earlier joke, Piastri emphasized that both he and Norris are focused on long-term success at McLaren. “We want to achieve sustained success at McLaren, for as long as we’re here, which is hopefully for many years,” he explained.
He also acknowledged the competitive nature of their relationship but stressed their shared goal. “We both want to be world champions, but we want more than just one opportunity. We want continued success for the team and ourselves over the next several years.”
