Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s Spa radio messages uncovered a worrying difference for Damon Hill

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The Formula 1 drivers’ championship could come down to the wire between McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

The Belgian Grand Prix looked set to be a key battleground for the McLaren pair, with just eight points separating them at the halfway stage of the 2025 F1 season.

Oscar Piastri wasn’t happy with the way teammate Lando Norris won the preceding British Grand Prix, but made up for that at Spa.

He blew the rest of the field away in Sprint qualifying, before losing the lead of that race to Max Verstappen on the opening lap.

Norris then showed what he was capable of over one lap to take the 13th pole position of his career, and should have lined up alongside Piastri on the front row.

However, a rolling start made Norris’ life more difficult, and Piastri pulled off an extraordinary move to take the lead on the first run down the Kemmel Straight.

Damon Hill was keeping a very close eye on the tactical battle that ensued between the two McLaren stars.

The differing strategies created an intriguing conclusion to the race, although fans were left worried by the errors Norris kept making in his pursuit of the Australian.

Hill noticed something when listening to both of their radio messages during the race that gave him cause for concern for Norris’ side of the garage.

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

Damon Hill worried about Lando Norris’ radio messages compared to Oscar Piastri

Hill was asked on the Chequered Flag Podcast about the ‘little mistakes’ Norris was making in his attempts to catch Piastri and said: “It’s more than that, though, isn’t it, because he had a radio message from his engineer, Will Joseph sort of encouraging him to calm down a bit and to keep focused.

“Now, you wouldn’t do that if you thought the guy could cope with it on his own. You would not be making a comment.

“I mean, do they need to make these comments to Lando? Was he pushing too hard? Is he unable to judge it in that way? And that remains a question.

“I just think there isn’t quite so much nursemaiding needed for Oscar.

“It’s just simply a discussion on a level between equals. The engineer is asking the driver, and the driver’s giving it back.

“It’s succinct, it’s direct, it’s pretty clear. And Oscar’s tone on the radio is almost as if he’s just waking up and fancies a cup of tea sometimes.”

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

Oscar Piastri draws Alain Prost comparison from Damon Hill after the Belgian Grand Prix

Piastri’s control of the race on Sunday was demonstrated by the gap he managed to pull out over the final few laps, just as Norris was beginning to really close in.

He managed the softer compound tyres to perfection, and as Hill mentioned, never sounded worried on the team radio.

Nico Rosberg has pointed out his concerns with Norris’ radio messages in the past, and the fact that he occasionally needs to be guided through a race isn’t necessarily a disadvantage, but just a different style from his teammate.

Hill quickly compared Piastri to Alain Prost after the race, something that the eight-time race winner will very much appreciate.

The way both Piastri and Norris handle the pressure of a title battle over the next few months won’t just determine who wins the drivers’ championship this year, but potentially the trajectory of their Formula 1 careers.