After five rounds, Oscar Piastri leads the drivers’ standings, having capitalized on Lando Norris’s early mistakes and his own impressive consistency to notch up three wins. Norris, meanwhile, sits just 10 points adrift, determined to fight back as the season heads into its crucial middle phase.

McLaren’s Intra-Team Battle Heats Up

McLaren’s MCL39 has proven to be a race winner, and both drivers have made the most of it. Norris opened the season with a statement victory in Australia, but subsequent weekends have seen him struggle to extract the same performance, especially in qualifying. Errors in Bahrain and a costly crash in Saudi Arabia handed the initiative to Piastri, who has kept his head down and delivered under pressure.

Yet, when asked if he’s concerned about his teammate’s momentum, Norris was quick to dismiss any suggestion of internal tension. “No, not worried at all. He’s doing a good job and he deserves it. Nothing more than that,” Norris told media ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

“I don’t believe so much in the momentum stuff – that’s just my opinion. I’m doing what I can. I’ve clearly made some mistakes and not at the level I need to be, but I believe I can be at that level soon enough. So no reason to be worried,” Norris added.

Adapting to the New McLaren

Norris has been candid about the challenges he’s faced adapting to the 2025 car. While last year’s McLaren suited him perfectly, this season’s MCL39 has required a different approach—one that Piastri seems to have mastered more quickly.

“I just think he is maybe more naturally able to adapt, and it is a driver’s job to adapt to whatever car they get given, but there are compromises, and the team is also there to try and help you to get the most out of it,” Norris explained.

Team principal Andrea Stella has acknowledged that Norris, more than Piastri, is experiencing “episodes” when pushing the car to its limits, leading to the occasional costly error. Despite this, Norris remains confident he can turn things around.

“It’s round six of 24. I’m not going to say that forever, I know I need to get a move on and I need to get into gear a little bit. I’m doing the best I can every week and every minute,” Stella said.

A Rivalry to Watch

With McLaren now the benchmark for performance, the Norris-Piastri rivalry is shaping up as one of the season’s defining stories. Both drivers have shown they can win, and with Red Bull and Ferrari still searching for answers, the fight for supremacy in papaya could well decide the outcome of the championship.

As the F1 circus rolls into Miami, Norris’s focus is unwavering. He is learning from his early setbacks, refusing to let pressure mount, and is motivated to reclaim the top spot from his teammate.