After just 12 races into his rookie season, Oscar Piastri has proved why McLaren did the right thing fighting for him last year. Seeing how an experienced driver like Daniel Ricciardo couldn’t get comfortable in McLaren even after spending two full seasons with the team, what Piastri has done in just five months to get on par with Lando Norris is remarkable. With his confidence and talent, you could almost imagine what would happen if McLaren could deliver a championship-winning car—Piastri and Norris would be battling each other (and most likely Max Verstappen) for the title. But considering that isn’t the case just yet, Piastri’s benchmark is Norris, and beating that benchmark is his goal.

With the immensely talented drivers racing each other, bragging rights at McLaren are up for grabs. Who can outperform the other over a season? That’s what’s going on in almost every F1 fan’s mind. It’s playing on CEO Zak Brown’s mind, too, because when asked to choose between his two drivers at the Hungarian GP, he said he would love to see Piastri out-qualify Norris there. Although the Aussie couldn’t do it at the Hugaroring, he one-upped Norris throughout the Belgian GP weekend. Recently, Piastri even said, “I don’t want to just be close to Lando. Of course, I want to try and beat him.”

With Norris chasing his first win and Piastri chasing his first podium, could tensions flare in Woking? Whether or not that happens, Piastri confirmed one thing. Not only is Norris his benchmark, but he is also someone he looks up to. On the P1 Podcast with Matt and Tommy on YouTube, Piastri was asked who he idolized while climbing through the ranks in his junior career. He replied, “I would say I never really had one specific idol. Like when I was growing up watching, Mark Webber was at Red Bull. Obviously, being Australian, being in a Red Bull that was very quick at the time, I naturally followed him.”

He continued, “Even some of the guys in the junior ranks above me, like Lando, was always two or three years above me, winning most things on his way up. So, I guess kind of him in some ways.” There seems to be no bad blood between the McLaren duo, and they share mutual respect. But if Piastri has anyone to thank for how well he’s performed this season, it’s Norris.

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Lando Norris helped Oscar Piastri get recognized in F1

In F1, the first person a driver is compared to is their teammate. In Piastri’s case, that’s the relatively more experienced and mega-talented Lando Norris. In terms of Piastri’s rookie season, though, the Aussie couldn’t have asked for a better teammate. By setting Norris as a benchmark and taking the challenge to him almost every race weekend, Piastri has proven just how talented he is. 

While discussing Piastri’s first half of the season, his manager, Mark Webber, said, “Lando has been exceptional, Lando’s top drawer, we know that. And Oscar has just held himself in such… Of course, we’re all very proud of him.” By already performing at Norris’ level just 12 races into his career—and considering he’s racing after a 15-month break—Piastri is already instilling faith in everyone that he, too, has championship-winning potential. Had it not been for how well Norris is performing this season, it may have been that Piastri’s results would’ve flown under the radar.

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Can Oscar Piastri out-score Lando Norris this season?

WATCH THIS STORY | How Oscar Piastri Has Made a Scintillating Rise to the Pinnacle of Motorsport