Norris downplays rivalry with Piastri: “In 200 years, everyone’s dead” – F1

Lando Norris, the talented McLaren driver, has made it clear that he is not obsessed with surpassing his teammate, Oscar Piastri, in the fight for the world championship. Norris, in a bold and thoughtful statement, downplayed the pressure to win the title at all costs.

I don’t care if I don’t surpass it. In 200 years we’ll all be dead.

Lando Norris

Currently, Norris is 16 points behind Piastri in the overall standings, a situation that adds excitement to the internal competition at McLaren. The Belgian Grand Prix, marked by rain, saw Piastri take the lead, but Norris is not giving up.

Norris, who couldn’t prevent Red Bull’s Max Verstappen from taking the championship last year, now has Piastri as his main rival within McLaren. Piastri has achieved six victories, while Norris has four. When asked if it’s necessary to “mess” with Piastri to win the title, Norris responded sincerely. The British driver emphasized his desire to enjoy the process and not take things personally. He acknowledges his passion for winning and losing, but dismisses the need for intense rivalries with his teammate.

Norris also highlighted that Piastri is the driver he most wants to beat, but that he will accept the result if his teammate performs better. He prefers to focus on his own performance and avoid tactics he doesn’t consider necessary. In the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris demonstrated his speed by dominating Friday’s practice sessions, surpassing Piastri by a minimal margin in the first session and extending the lead in the second. Norris seeks to maintain his good performance, aiming to outperform his teammate. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who has had a successful track record in Hungary, struggled in Friday’s practice. Verstappen, for his part, had a complicated day, finishing in a distant position in qualifying and expressing his frustration with his car. Verstappen also received a warning for throwing a towel from his cockpit.