McLaren star Lando Norris has hit back at the critics taking a swipe at McLaren's success so far in the 2025 season having praised both himself and Oscar Piastri for the improvements made. McLaren have continued their 2024 constructors success into the 2025 season having finished on top of the podium in both races.
Norris won the opening race of the year at the Australian Grand Prix, before Piastri converted his qualifying success into a win having taken out the Chinese GP. There has been plenty of noise around whether Piastri and Norris will be allowed to race each other as competitors in the McLaren car after some controversy last year.
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| Lando Norris (pictured middle) has praised teammate Oscar Piastri (pictured left) for the way McLaren have started the 2025 season. (Images: Getty Images) |
However, Norris and Piastri appear to be benefitting from McLaren's early season speed as they sit first and fourth, respectively, in the driver standings. And with the early success has come criticism McLaren's car is the reason behind the two GP wins.
Norris was quick to hit back at the suggestions and claimed the two drivers have a lot to do with their victories. "I think just the fact we have two good drivers is obviously making the biggest difference because, in certain cases, I don't think we necessarily had the quickest one ..." Norris told reporters on Thursday.
"But the fact that we have just two good drivers pushing each other makes, I think, just a bigger difference than people expect and take acknowledgement for." Piastri finished close to 10 seconds ahead of his nearest rival at the Chinese GP having converted pole position into a win for the first time.
Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have not started the season the way they would have hoped as they languish in ninth and 10th on the standings. And while Norris wasn't disparaging the other teams when hyping up McLaren, he wanted Piastri and himself to receive the plaudits they deserve.
"I also think between Oscar and myself, we both improved our own driving a lot," he added. "And I also feel like I'm more prepared for whatever the situation may be, whether it is racing against (world champion) Max (Verstappen) or Oscar or Lewis or Charles, whoever.
"I feel like I'm more prepared to know what level I need to be at, whether it's going to be like a risky level or non-risk level." The Japanese GP will prove to be another marker in the season with Piastri and Norris allowed to push each other for the drivers championship.
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| McLaren have started the 2025 season with two victories in the F1. |
.Lando Norris hits out at McLaren claims
But his biggest swipe at the critics came when he slammed suggestions McLaren's car is so much better than its competitors that it has made them 'unbeatable'. "I think the people that say that, the unbeatable stuff, is just nonsense and they just like to talk crap sometimes," he said.
"I think if you go back one year ago, Red Bull were a lot further ahead than we are now. The fact that they had two drivers (Verstappen and Sergio Perez) up there dominating, they were a lot further ahead than we are now. So I think, we're doing a very good job ... and yeah, we want to still try and increase our advantage more than what it is now."
Martin Brundle raises 'tense' McLaren battle
Speaking after the Chinese GP in his column for Sky Sports, F1 great Martin Brundle suggested McLaren are in for an interesting year with two competitive drivers. "Another question was whether Norris could mount a challenge on his team-mate and championship rival Piastri, but a disappearing brake pedal which became virtually non-existent on the final lap put paid to that, and Norris did well to just hold off Russell having another good day for Mercedes," Brundle wrote.
"Norris leaves China with one more point advantage over Verstappen in the championship than before he arrived, but more ominously for him, Piastri is now only 10 points behind. Next up is Suzuka. It's going to get intense between the McLaren pairing."
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| Lando Norris (pictured) has praised his team for the stellar start to the season. |
Brundle's column came after Norris revealed it was refreshing both the two McLaren drivers have been given more freedom to go for it this year. "I think we're both excited — probably nervous and excited at the same time — as I'm sure the team will be," Norris said.
"But we're ready. We know that as much as we work together and we have a good time and enjoy ourselves, we both know we want to try and beat each other and show who's best. And that's inevitable. So there's no point trying to hide away from that fact or make something of it."
- Riley Morgan
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