What some McLaren staff have said about Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s ultimate potential

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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown will have spent the two-week break between Monza and Baku discussing how best to tackle the final eight races of the season.

At the beginning of the 2024 Formula 1 season, nobody would have expected McLaren to not only be putting together a title challenge but be favourites ahead of Red Bull to win the Constructors’ Championship.

Just eight points separate the top two teams in the standings with Ferrari hot on their heels after Charles Leclerc’s victory in Monza.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix offers McLaren the chance to finally take the lead in the championship and given Red Bull’s current struggles, it would be a shock if they didn’t close the gap.

However, McLaren may have a problem when it comes to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

Having such a strong driver line-up is fantastic for winning the Constructors’ Championship but once both drivers get a sniff at winning an individual title, they may no longer act in the best interest of the team.

Will Buxton was speaking on The Race Podcast and shared some of the murmurings he’s heard from within McLaren about two drivers.

McLaren will already be aiming to win both championships next year before the regulations change.

However, if the grid is as close as it is this season, they may end up having to back one of their drivers much earlier than this year.

That could spell bad news for Norris given how some people within the team feel about Piastri’s ceiling.

Some people within McLaren now feel Oscar Piastri has higher potential than Lando Norris

Debating the reasons why McLaren may not be prioritising Norris’s title challenge over Piastri, Buxton said: “I’ve heard whispers of it and chat within the paddock and within the team, some members saying that actually there is a belief starting to form at McLaren that Oscar’s ceiling is higher than Lando’s.

“Lando’s been there for six years, Oscar’s been there for 18 months and Ben [Anderson – The Race journalist] as you say quite rightly, Oscar particularly over the last six, seven races and probably on balance this year, Oscar has been the more impressive driver of the two. I don’t think you can take that away from him given his experience.

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

“OK, we sometimes forget the age gap between the two of them is not very much, it’s just that Lando arrived in Formula 1 so young.

“Mostly because Red Bull came knocking and wanted him and McLaren had to rush him in otherwise they risked losing him to Red Bull and Red Bull have carried on knocking at the door and Lando has continually said no, McLaren is where I’m happiest, McLaren is where I want to be.

“Zak [Brown], Lando’s his golden child and has been for over half a decade but there is a feeling starting to form at that team that potentially Oscar is the better of the two.”

Will Buxton outlines what could be the ‘beginning of the end’ for Norris at McLaren

Whatever McLaren feel about the future – even if Piastri could reach higher heights than Norris – they need to begin prioritising the Brit in the Drivers’ Championship.

Verstappen is vulnerable for the first time in years and with Piastri more than 100 points behind the Dutchman, he’s not a viable candidate to win the 2024 title.

McLaren are planning a change to their papaya rules that should benefit Norris going forward.

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

He’s the faster qualifier which means he should have track position from the beginning of each race even if he’s not managed to maintain the lead of any race where he’s started on pole position.

Piastri understands he needs to work on his qualifying but given how much more inexperienced he is compared to Norris, he’ll know how much time he theoretically has to reach his level.

Norris could see the beginning of the end of his time at McLaren come if Piastri manages to overturn his lead over him in the championship this season.

He needs to start being more selfish and grab the opportunity in front of him over the next few months.