Revealed - Why even Verstappen would struggle against someone like Piastri
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Co-author:Tobia Elia
Sandy is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with growing expertise in the sport. Combining hands-on experience in interviews and paddock access with her studies in sports communication, she provides reliable coverage and fresh insights into the pinnacle of motorsport.
Lando Norris was once again defeated by his teammate Oscar Piastri at Spa-Francorchamps. Peter Windsor considers the Brit a good driver, but believes that Piastri is at a level that even Max Verstappen would struggle with.
Lando Norris qualified on pole for the Belgian Grand Prix. After about an hour and a half delay, the race finally started with a rolling launch.
On the first lap, Oscar Piastri overtook the Brit down the straight with a move similar to the one Max Verstappen used on the Australian during the sprint race.
After the race at Spa-Francorchamps, Norris was once again hard on himself. This isn’t the first time the McLaren driver has lost the lead early on—in fact, in 2024, Norris has become known for losing the lead in the first lap more than anyone else.
Lando Norris
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Norris faces a difficult task against Piastri
Peter Windsor sympathizes with the Brit: ''I think he’s got a lot of talent, there's no doubt about it, he's a very, very good racing driver. But he's got this incredibly difficult guy to beat,'' the Australian said on The F1 Hour-podcast.
Windsor then suggested that even Max Verstappen would find it difficult at McLaren: ''I think anyone would find it, I think even Max, if he was at McLaren, he'd find Oscar would be the guy that would be giving him more attention probably than any other driver on the grid.''
Verstappen has had several teammates throughout his career, and especially in recent years, he’s outperformed every one of them. Last year, he left Sergio Perez far behind, and this year, both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda haven’t been able to keep up.
Piastri has definitely stepped up compared to last year, delivering exceptional performances at times—evidenced by his pole position in the sprint qualifying in Belgium and the overtake on his teammate at the start of the Grand Prix.
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