Lando Norris just wants to give Oscar Piastri a ‘hug’ after beating him in 2025 F1 title battle

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Lando Norris won the F1 world championship on Sunday, picking up the third-place finish he needed to see off Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. Contrary to external predictions, the relationship between the two McLaren drivers survived under the weight of a title battle.

Piastri came home second in Abu Dhabi, which saw him finish 13 points behind Norris overall. He knew going into the race that he needed a remarkable twist to snatch the trophy.

The Australian had led the standings by 34 points after the Dutch GP, the largest gap between the McLaren drivers all season. But a combination of factors, including bad luck, underperformance and accidents, saw that advantage slip away.

Piastri congratulated the Norris family after the chequered flag at Yas Marina, a commendable act of sportsmanship in the midst of his title heartbreak.

Lando Norris feels ‘bad’ for Oscar Piastri after winning 2025 title

During an interview on the F1 Show, Norris was asked about his rivalry with Piastri. It’s ‘difficult’ to know how he should treat his teammate.

Still, he’s confident that the 24-year-old has ‘enjoyed’ their battle and expects them to remain extremely close. McLaren are well fancied for the 2026 season, even if they haven’t generated as much hype as the works Mercedes team.

As he made clear even before the Abu Dhabi GP, Piastri will quickly switch focus to next year. Testing begins in late January, and he should be a more formidable opponent after mounting his first championship bid.

“It’s one of those things – you don’t really know what to do!” Norris said. “I feel bad, I want to give him a hug! I want to acknowledge, I want to give him the respect he deserves. I’m sure everyone does, on the outside.

“It’s always quite a difficult position to be in. I know what he’s achieved this year, and how hard it’s been on both sides.

“I just know there are going to be plenty more times, where we’re going to have more of these battles, he comes out on top some of the time, I try and come out on top some of the time.

“Yeah, I’ve enjoyed it, I think and I hope he has enjoyed a lot of it. I was pretty disappointed last year that I finished second. We all want to win.”

Lando Norris says he ‘never’ accepted Oscar Piastri would beat him

Norris also reflected on the aftermath of the Dutch GP, the bleakest moment of his season. Some were predicting that Piastri would go on to win the title comfortably.

But while Norris wasn’t ‘hopeful’, he maintained his belief. He would outscore his teammate at six straight races before their double disqualification in Las Vegas.

In the end, Verstappen emerged as the main threat, even though he had been 104 points behind Piastri after his runner-up finish in the Netherlands.

“I would never have thought of [making peace with second] that quickly,” Norris said. “I certainly wasn’t so hopeful that there was still a chance.

“If this year’s proved anything… seeing Max come from 100 points back to where he did at the end, that’s the incredible thing.”