Title Clash: Norris vs Piastri

It's been building for a long time, but we finally have been able to see Oscar Piastri vs Lando Norris on track. There's been plenty of speculation about how the two will race each other under what McLaren call "Papaya Rules"; a concept that no one seems to fully understand. The tension has really been building since the Hungarian Grand Prix of 2024, where Piastri was leading the race until a strategic blunder from McLaren gave Norris the lead, forcing persuasive team orders and radio messages to return the position.

Since then we have seen them push each other, but never truly race each other wheel-to-wheel. That was until the Canadian Grand Prix 2025. Norris had started much further down the grid than his championship leading teammate, but once again a fortunate strategy brought the two together on track. Norris launched an attack at the hairpin, bringing the two into a drag race down the back straight where Piastri defended into the chicane and lost time. The move brought Norris almost side-by-side with his teammate going towards turn 1, but space became a figment of his imagination as he found the rear wheel of his colleague removing his front wing. The barrier shortly followed, and a DNF resulted.

There are many confusing aspects to this clash though; firstly, why was Lando trying to overtake in the first place? It all felt a little bit desperate, especially as it was for fourth place with very little hope of getting Antonelli and even less hope of getting through Verstappen. The points gain was minimal, so was it all just for bragging rights? Or to prove which one of them is better? Seems a big risk, as it could easily have resulted in a double DNF.

Lando claims that he thought Oscar was moving to the right and a gap was going to open up which would allow him an overtaking opportunity into turn 1, Oscar didn't move and in hindsight perhaps Lando should have gone right, but that's why it is 20/20. With Lando holding his hands up and taking blame for the incident, and the fact that Oscar finished the race in the same position as before the incident, McLaren have likely got away without a civil war - think Mercedes 2014-2016. Nonetheless, it is a clear signal of intent from Lando, and a steadfast defense from Oscar to prove he won't just move out of the way.

The silver lining for the drivers, starting with Lando, is that the pace was there for a podium chance, even at a track where Mercedes seemed so dominant, and we expect them to be strong at the remaining races this season, so even when qualifying was poor, Lando was able to get up there. For Oscar the silver lining is that he was able to pull a gap to his teammate and leaves Canada with his biggest championship lead yet. But this isn't the first time teammates have come together, and it hasn't always ended well.

Perhaps the most well-known incident of the last decade, and yes it is only just within the last decade, is the crash between Rosberg and Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016. This was really the peak of the war between the two Mercedes drivers, and former friends, because after this I'm not sure they ever truly spoke to each other. Rosberg snatched the lead before the first corner but had a deployment issue out of turn 3 bringing Hamilton alongside. With neither wanting to back down the pair collided and slid into the gravel trap at turn 4, ending what could have been a 100% record for Mercedes in 2016. The pair would later collide at the Austrian Grand Prix on the last lap.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly certainly had their share of incidents in the two years they spent as teammates. Rumours were circling about the dislike between the two and Ocon has a bit of a reputation of running into his teammates. The pair collided at the Australian Grand Prix restart in 2023, bringing both cars into the barrier, and would later collide at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, with Ocon flying into the air. The relationship between Ocon and Alpine would break down further that year, resulting in him leaving the team.

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber (Oscar Piastri's manager) had their share of dramas during a very dominant period at Red Bull in the early 2010s. The flash point that really began the downward spiral of their relationship was the collision at the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix. Webber was the championship leader and race leader when Vettel launched a challenge into turn 11. The quick cut across the front of Webber's car resulted in a collision and a DNF for Vettel, who later went on to win the title that year, and the following three years. The Multi-21 incident of 2013 at the Malaysian Grand Prix was the icing on the cake for Mark, who decided to leave the sport that year for challenges new.

Finally, Vettel and Leclerc. Similar to Norris and Piastri, and the others I have mentioned, in that one was the driver who the team had put a lot of faith in, while the other was the young hopeful that was supposed to be a hope for the future. But Leclerc came into Ferrari quicker than expected, and even won races for the Scuderia in 2019. The pair were battling at the Brazilian Grand Prix with Vettel leading the pair. Leclerc overtook into turn 1 before Vettel tried to retake the position on the run down to turn 3. Once again, the German cut in front of his teammate and ripped his rear tyre apart, resulting in a double DNF in the dying stages.

What does this all mean for McLaren and why did I bring it up? Well as I said earlier, McLaren have probably delayed a civil war for now, but the media interviews at every race this year are doing their bit to keep the fire alive. We see week-in week-out Oscar and Lando asked similar but leading questions designed to take a little dig at one another and increase the pressure cooker that is a dominant F1 team. Oscar has a cool head and a wise hand of Webber on his side, but Lando does wear his heart on his sleeve more often than not. I can see a Mercedes-like rivalry in McLaren's future, and I think it will come out in favour of Oscar, who seems to have the calmer head on his shoulders.

If Lando can take the title this year, the arguments will be settled, but if the favour goes the way of Piastri in the second half of the season, I think we will see an evermore desperate Norris attempting wild moves.