Martin Brundle feels Oscar Piastri should be ‘alarmed’ after what he saw at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Lando Norris has thrown down the gauntlet at the 2025 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after setting the pace in practice one and two, while Oscar Piastri hit problems on the track.

The 2025 F1 season reaches a conclusion this weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, where the drivers’ title will also be decided. Norris will head into the Abu Dhabi GP as the favourite for the title, but Max Verstappen of Red Bull and McLaren teammate Piastri are still in the fight.

Norris leads Verstappen and Piastri by 12 and 16 points, with 25 on the table at Yas Marina. The Briton only needs to finish the Abu Dhabi GP in a podium position to win the F1 drivers’ championship. Verstappen and Piastri are relying on Norris hitting trouble to clinch the title.

Verstappen might also need more than just one rival driver to join the lead fight. Zak Brown has confirmed that McLaren will impose team orders on Piastri to help Norris win the 2025 F1 title, should the latter need the Australian to move aside to guarantee he takes the title.

Martin Brundle feels Oscar Piastri should be ‘alarmed’ about his McLaren at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Norris will hope to maintain the promise that he showed in practice at the Abu Dhabi GP to avoid needing Piastri’s help to win the 2025 title. The 26-year-old topped the FP1 timesheet by 0.008s over Verstappen, and he even improved his advantage at the top to 0.363s in FP2.

READ MORE: All you need to know about the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, including past winners

Verstappen finished second again as Norris set the pace in FP2 at the Abu Dhabi GP, as the Dutchman set a 1:23.446 compared to the Briton’s 1:23.083. Pato O’Ward replaced Piastri in FP1 at the Abu Dhabi GP to fulfil McLaren’s rookie quota, and Piastri then struggled in FP2.

Piastri only set the 11th-quickest lap time during FP2 at Yas Marina, with a 0.680s deficit to Norris. And Martin Brundle would be “alarmed” if he were in Piastri’s shoes, as he saw just how much the rear-end of the 24-year-old’s McLaren MCL39 was sliding around the circuit.

Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (5/12, 14:05): “Oscar had a few challenges, because he missed the first session. You’d be a bit alarmed that the pace didn’t come immediately. The back end of the car was sliding around a lot, I referenced that when I was out on track.

“There is free practice three, so it is recoverable, and then he has the quali runs. They know this track so well [and] they know the car at this end of the season. So, it’s alright.

“But you’re going to look at the data, and go, ‘Right, I need a spectacular day tomorrow’, if you’re Oscar Piastri.”

Martin Brundle tips Oscar Piastri to look at Lando Norris’ set-up for answers in Abu Dhabi

Piastri finished FP2 at the Abu Dhabi GP down in just P11, having failed to record a clean lap during his qualifying simulation. The Melbourne native set his best time of a 1:23.763 on his first soft C5 tyre run, yet lost 0.152s to Norris in sector one, 0.196s in S2 and 0.332s in S3.

READ MORE: F1 experts predict the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP and if Lando Norris will win the title

Traffic played its part in Piastri’s best qualifying simulation falling away, especially in the last sector. But he also failed to improve with his second attempt after a huge lock-up at Turn 6. So, Brundle expects Piastri will search for answers by looking at Norris’ data on Friday night.

Brundle added: “It’s a very open book now in the team, especially it’s more digital. Set-ups are being tried on the simulator back at the factory. The cars are so complex, they will be sharing absolutely everything.

“And we’ve often heard the two drivers talk about an open book policy. They even know what each other’s race strategies are. That’s the only way you can run a team like that.”

Piastri last sat out an FP1 session at the Italian Grand Prix this September, when Alex Dunne took over his MCL39 to fulfil the first part of McLaren’s rookie quota with his car. Piastri was able to lap within 0.181s of Norris’ FP2-topping pace at Monza, as the Australian bagged P4.