David Coulthard thinks Lando Norris now has a crucial advantage over Oscar Piastri after the Austrian Grand Prix

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The Austrian Grand Prix might have been the turning point in the season that sees the race to win the drivers’ championship come down to just two men.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed into Max Verstappen on the opening lap of the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Red Bull driver powerless to prevent the incident.

It means the four-time world champion is now 61 points behind McLaren star Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ championship.

No driver has ever overcome such a large lead in the championship, although Verstappen has spent his entire career defying expectations.

However, it was Lando Norris who came out victorious at the Red Bull Ring for the first time in his career.

Damon Hill has predicted Norris to win the upcoming British Grand Prix, and another former driver, David Coulthard, has identified a key advantage Norris has over Piastri in their championship fight.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

David Coulthard thinks Lando Norris has a qualifying advantage over Oscar Piastri

Norris produced the best pole position lap of the season in Austria, setting a time more than half a second quicker than second place Charles Leclerc on Saturday.

A yellow flag brought out by Pierre Gasly hampered Piastri and Verstappen, but Norris still deserves immense credit as he was the fastest driver on track as soon as he jumped into the car in FP2.

Coulthard was discussing the two McLaren drivers on Channel 4, and speaking about Norris’ qualifying performance, he said: “What a lap, the lap of the season in terms of lap time.

“Oscar Piastri, disappointing yesterday that he didn’t get a run due to the yellow flag that was brought out by Pierre Gasly.

“In truth, I just don’t think he’s got the pace in a single lap relative to Lando.”

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

Lando Norris needs to stop making qualifying mistakes to beat Oscar Piastri

Although Coulthard believes that Norris has better one-lap pace than Piastri, the statistics this season don’t currently suggest that.

Piastri is ahead in their qualifying head-to-head, outqualifying his teammate on eight occasions, including Sprint events, compared to Norris’s five superior qualifying performances.

However, too often Norris has made critical errors in Q3 when he’s been the faster driver in the previous two sessions.

In Saudi Arabia, Norris made a crucial error in qualifying, and he had to start 10th as a result.

The Canadian Grand Prix saw Norris make errors in both of his Q3 runs, too, highlighting that he tends to let the pressure get to him more than his teammate.

However, the Monaco Grand Prix might be the perfect example of how Norris can get the better of Piastri when it counts.

Qualifying is crucial on the streets of Monte Carlo with overtaking so difficult, and Norris produced the perfect lap when it mattered, while Piastri had to settle for a start from the second row.

The gap between Norris and Piastri is only 15 points, and both drivers will feel they have what it takes to win their maiden title this season.