F1: Oscar Piastri of McLaren talks about “tension” with colleague and competitor Lando Norris

As the calendar enters the second half of the season, Australian Formula One driver Oscar Piastri has discussed the ongoing competition for the World Championship between himself and his teammate Lando Norris.

In the Drivers championship, Piastri and Norris are only nine points apart. Normally, this has caused conflict when drivers from the same team are on similar terms, but this isn’t the case with the McLaren pair.

Even though there was tension due to the positions of both drivers, Piastri clarified that he was still pursuing races in the same manner as he would have even if he hadn’t been included in the title picture.

“Tenseness will inevitably arise,” he states. “Emotions and pressure will inevitably arise from it, but I’m not very affected by it. To be honest, I’m just more thrilled. I would attempt to approach things in the same manner if I weren’t competing for a title. Naturally, there will be more anxiety because of our position, but regardless of where I finish in the tournament, I would still attempt to do the same thing.

Piastri, 24, has been living away from Australia and his parents for the past ten years in order to compete in Formula One. He has faced and triumphed in a season-long struggle against Norris, who many consider to be the superior driver.

Piastri is the more reliable driver between the two, having won six races and placed on the podium six more in his third-ever Formula One season. Both will be competing at this week’s Dutch Grand Prix.

“There will undoubtedly be conflict at times because, in the end, we’re battling for something that we’ve both wanted since we were young,” Piastri says. However, in all honesty, our relationship is probably stronger now than it was at the beginning. Regardless of the outcome of this tournament, it has already been a terrific fight, and I believe there will be a great deal of respect on both sides. Of course, there will be a loser, and that will not be nice for whoever it is.