Formula 1 analyst Martin Brundle suggests that McLaren might need to make an early decision on whether to support Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris in this year`s championship battle.
Piastri is currently 16 points ahead of Norris leading into this weekend`s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. McLaren`s strong points haul from the recent Sprint weekend means Max Verstappen is now 32 points behind the championship leader.
The Miami Grand Prix was McLaren`s most impressive performance yet, finishing significantly ahead of third-placed George Russell, who is 38 points adrift of Piastri after six races.
Speaking on *The F1 Show*, Brundle commented on the challenge facing McLaren: “The problem McLaren are going to have is if Max Verstappen and George Russell keep pumping in the results… If they`re there, there`s no doubt in my mind that Piastri and Norris will take points off each other. So they`ve got to be careful that they`re not so focused on each other that somebody else comes in and wins the championship, as Alain Prost did in 1986.”
Unlike the situation at McLaren, Max Verstappen doesn`t face the same risk of a teammate significantly impacting his points total, allowing him to maximize his score and remain a strong title contender.
Both Red Bull and Mercedes are expected to bring upgrades in the upcoming races. Additionally, a rule change targeting flexible wings at the Spanish Grand Prix could potentially help them close the performance gap to McLaren.
Brundle explained that waiting until a driver is mathematically out of the championship race (which could be as late as October or November) would be too late for McLaren to make a strategic driver choice. Therefore, he believes they “might have to take a decision before that,” although he doesn`t expect them to consider it until at least the summer break.
Does Verstappen Race Piastri Differently?
The Miami GP provided the first sustained wheel-to-wheel battles between Verstappen and the McLaren drivers this season.
While Piastri had previously overtaken Verstappen (in wet conditions in Melbourne and briefly in Saudi Arabia), these were not prolonged fights showcasing intense racing combat.
Lando Norris has experienced Verstappen`s aggressive side in past seasons, losing out in battles that denied him victory opportunities in Austria, the USA, and Mexico City last year.
When asked if Verstappen races the two McLaren drivers differently, Brundle was unequivocal: “100 per cent, unquestionably.” He elaborated, saying he thinks Verstappen perceives Piastri as having a “street fighter” edge, noting Piastri`s “decisiveness” in car placement during battles. Brundle feels Verstappen sees Piastri as a “different animal” compared to Norris when racing wheel-to-wheel. While praising Norris`s race craft in Miami, Brundle remains certain that Verstappen recognizes Piastri as a distinctly challenging opponent in direct competition.
Brundle added that Norris is “not quite as decisive how he places the car when he`s overtaking,” but expects him to improve. He believes this is the current dynamic but doesn`t necessarily expect it to remain that way throughout the season.
Piastri: Championship Contender?
At the start of 2025, Norris was considered a top championship contender alongside Verstappen, following a year where he generally held the upper hand over Piastri and with McLaren`s performance trending upwards.
However, since his mistake in the opening Australian Grand Prix, Piastri has reversed the momentum, outscoring Norris by 39 points over the subsequent five races.
Brundle stated that Piastri has won four of the last six races and “is just looking like absolute world championship material.” He commended Piastri`s impressive rate of improvement and ability to learn quickly. While acknowledging Piastri`s potential was clear late last year, Brundle admitted he didn`t necessarily expect him to reach this level of performance and confidence (“winning, winning, winning”) so rapidly. He concluded by suggesting Piastri`s race craft is currently “a touch stronger than Lando`s.”
Marcus Prine