Lando Norris Looking To Muster McLaren 'Magic' To Stop Oscar Piastri’s Lead In F1 Championship

Last Updated:August 31, 2025, 14:15 IST

Oscar Piastri starts Dutch Grand Prix from pole with a nine-point lead, as Lando Norris eyes strategy and tyre magic to challenge his McLaren teammate at Zandvoort.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's battle for F1 supermacy continues to heat up (X)

Lando Norris believes it will take “some magic" — or a perfect dose of strategy and tyre management — to prevent McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri from extending his Formula One championship lead from pole position at Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix.

Piastri, who holds a slender nine-point lead in the standings, will start from pole at the seaside Zandvoort Circuit, where overtaking opportunities are notoriously limited.

“Oscar’s in a much quicker car this year, and the hardest guy to overtake is your teammate," Norris told reporters after qualifying just 0.012 seconds shy of pole.

“It’s going to take some magic or some good strategy or incredible tyre saving or something.

“It’s normally pretty difficult to overtake in the first place; it’s even harder to do that behind your teammate. I’ll see what I can dream of tonight."

Lessons From Last Year, But a Different Game

Norris drew on his own experience at Zandvoort in 2024, when he started from pole, lost the lead at the start to Max Verstappen, and then reclaimed it on lap 18 en route to victory. However, the Briton was quick to stress that this year’s battle would be unlike that scenario.

“No offence to Max, he was in a much slower car last year (than the current McLaren), so that helps a lot," Norris remarked. “This time it’s different. Oscar is in the same car as me, and he’s driving extremely well."

Team Strategy Could Decide It

McLaren’s current dominance has created a fascinating intra-team duel, with Norris and Piastri effectively the only contenders for race wins over the past two months.

Norris has taken three victories in the last four races, including Hungary, where a bold one-stop strategy played in his favour while Piastri was forced into two stops, and at Silverstone, where Piastri’s 10-second penalty behind the safety car dropped him behind his teammate.

Despite that run, Piastri still leads their head-to-head tally on race wins this season — 6 to 5 — underlining how fine the margins have been inside the Woking-based garage.

A fifth consecutive McLaren one-two finish is on the cards for Sunday, but who finishes ahead will likely hinge on strategic calls.

(with Reuters inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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First Published:

August 31, 2025, 14:15 IST

News sports Lando Norris Looking To Muster McLaren 'Magic' To Stop Oscar Piastri’s Lead In F1 Championship

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