F1 insider names the missing ingredient still holding Piastri back against Norris

The Australian failed to fully capitalise on the sizeable advantage he built in the first half of last season, ultimately losing out on the title to his team-mate and even finishing behind Max Verstappen in the final standings.

That came despite holding the championship lead for as many as 15 races — one of the longest runs at the top in modern Formula 1 — a streak that ultimately proved insufficient after a sharp drop in results during the closing phase of the campaign.

Speaking on the Up to Speed, David Coulthard believes that if Piastri manages to unlock greater consistency, Norris could find himself under serious pressure this season: “I would expect Oscar to be more consistent over the year than he managed, and therefore, that might make it difficult for Lando.”

Speaking to the media, including GPblog, the Aussie admitted he has some reservations about the new regulations after it was noted that he did not appear particularly enthusiastic during the Bahrain test.

The Australian explained that the challenge lies in how fundamentally different the demands now are, stressing that drivers are being asked to do things they have never had to deal with before. He pointed out that many of these requirements are counter-intuitive and difficult to adapt to, especially after spending more than a decade driving in a certain way.