Piastri opens up on Norris rivalry, McLaren “Papaya rules,” and F1’s new era
The Australian referred to the adjustments that F1 has implemented ahead of the Miami race: “The challenge of the new rules is enormous.”
McLaren enters the 2026 season defending both world titles — Lando Norris as reigning Drivers’ Champion and the team as Constructors’ Champion — but Oscar Piastri’s year didn’t start smoothly. The Australian missed the start in both Australia and China: first after sliding into the wall on the formation lap in Melbourne (“There were about 100 kW of extra power I wasn’t expecting”), and then in Shanghai due to a Mercedes power‑unit issue that forced him back to the garage. Norris suffered a similar problem that weekend.
By Suzuka, though, Piastri was back in form. He led most of the race and held off the dominant Mercedes cars until Bearman crashed his Haas, triggering a Safety Car that ruined his strategy. He still finished second — McLaren’s first podium of the year — but sits four points behind Norris in the standings.
Before heading to Miami, Piastri spoke on the High Performance podcast about his relationship with Norris, McLaren’s internal culture, and the new technical regulations.
“It’s hard to be real friends with someone you have to beat 24 times a year”
Piastri says the dynamic with Norris hasn’t changed despite the stakes being higher than ever: “In all honesty, I don’t think it really changed. I don’t think anyone really struggles to believe that; it’s very much down to how we are as people. I believe we both separate our personal relationship from what happens on the track.
“It never got nasty, but respecting each other and being friends are two very different things. It’s hard to be a true friend with someone you have to prove you’re better than 24 times a year.”
He also shut down the idea that McLaren favored Norris last season:“There are no secrets at McLaren; you can’t hide. If you start trying to keep things to yourself, it’ll come back to bite you.”
A new era, new rules, and a massive learning curve
With F1’s new technical regulations debuting this season — and further tweaks arriving for the Miami GP — Piastri says he hasn’t had time to dwell on 2025.
“The challenge of the new regulations is so big that I haven’t had time to think much about last season. I had to channel all my energy into this new challenge. The most important thing has been the coordination between drivers, teams, F1, and the FIA. Some of the rules about the power you get from the turbo button are complex. With these engines, there will always be compromises, and I’m sure more adjustments will be needed.”
The impact of the updated software and energy‑management rules remains a mystery until the extended 90‑minute practice session in Miami — the only practice of a sprint weekend.
Focus, control, and no predictions
Piastri refuses to set expectations until he sees how the car behaves.
“All the preparation is focused on those three minutes in qualifying. If you go into a session saying ‘let’s see what happens,’ you won’t get anywhere. I focus on what I can control. If I have a problem and I can fix it, I do. If I can’t, I move on. All that matters is finishing a race weekend knowing I did everything I could.”
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