The McLaren squad has had a difficult campaign launch after falling short of some of the developmental targets. The Papaya army had big expectations from Lando Norris since the team had previously fired Daniel Ricciardo, leaving him as the senior driver. However, Norris himself has had a difficult season and has been surpassed by Oscar Piastri, the F2 and F3 champion.

Despite not having the best equipment, this talented Australian wowed not only the team but also won over the hearts of the fans with his competent performance. The Papaya army, which has a long-term deal with Norris, has changed its attitude. And the CEO of the team Zak Brown has ditched the 23-year-old to label Oscar Piastri a coveted title. Does that display a shift at McLaren?

Is there a power shift at Mclaren?

The F1 fraternity is witnessing a rising star in the form of Oscar Piastri. The rookie surprised Zak Brown and the rest of the team with his cool-headed performance in the first four races and the fact that despite having a stomach bug at Baku; he raced valiantly. Besides, the 22-year-old managed to avoid the wall at the notoriously chaotic Azerbaijan track, demonstrating exceptional abilities.

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As quoted by Speedcafe, the CEO of McLaren, Zak Brown, was all praise for the rookie driver and even gave him the title of “future champion.” He said, “We’re very impressed with him. He’s very focused. He’s not really made any, certainly not any big mistakes – typical exploring the limits, so the odd lock of a wheel here and there. Early indications are we’ve got a future world champion on our hands; [we] just need to work to get a faster car now.”

READ MORE: Shutting Down Transfer Speculations, Lando Norris Bets Again on McLaren’s F1 Optimism With Recent Changes: “A Bit of a Repetitive Game”

An electrical problem marred Piastri’s Formula 1 debut in Bahrain. Yet, the rookie thrilled everyone in the second round at the Jeddah track with his rapid qualifying timings. He later earned his first career points at the Australian Grand Prix. He demonstrated devotion to competing in the MCL 60 on the Azerbaijani track despite having a stomach bug. All of this together demonstrates that Piastri has the talent to be a champion. There might put more pressure on Norris, whose campaign thus far has only been passable. In light of the ongoing dynamics with Piastri, let’s hear what the British driver is pondering.

What does Lando Norris think of the talented Oscar Piastri?

It was an uphill battle for McLaren to fit Piastri in the orange car. After a tussle with Alpine, the team got the talented Australian at the cost of terminating Daniel Ricciardo’s ongoing contract. Since the winter, it’s been a good run overall, especially for Norris. He got a new Australian partner who is far more competitive than his former comrade.

Despite the tally being 4-0 in Norris’ favor after the Briton outperformed Piastri to win his P8 in Baku. The rookie had pushed Norris to the limit. As per racingnews365.com, Norris said, “It aligns very well, but I wouldn’t say we have the same driving style, but our comments and complaints are generally always the same, so that is a good thing. He’s a lovely guy, down to earth, normal, and a hard worker – so yeah, it is good fun.”

While mentioning that Piastri is different from Ricciardo, Norris added, ” [He’s] different to Daniel, I feel like a bit of contrast of Australia, but good fun – he’s very fast at the same time, so probably been pushing me a little bit more than in the past couple of years.”

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Given how hard Norris is being pushed by Piastri, do you think we will see a tense confrontation between the two later in the season?