Oscar Piastri admits Lando Norris is beating him: 63 points say it all
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Oscar Piastri said some of Lando Norris's qualifying laps were better than the McLaren car deserves.
- Norris sits sixth in the 2026 standings, 63 points ahead of Piastri in seventh.
- The praise comes after a tough year for McLaren under the new 2026 car rules.
Fans keep searching for Oscar Piastri's comments about Lando Norris. The reason is simple. Piastri gave rare, honest praise for his teammate this week.
He said Norris has driven better than the McLaren car deserves in 2026. That is a big statement from a driver fighting for his own career.
What happened
Piastri spoke to reporters ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. They asked him about his season and Norris's form. His answer was blunt and honest.
He said Norris took three pole positions this year. A pole means starting first in the race. On those weekends, Piastri believes Norris beat the real speed of the car.
He said: "Putting it bluntly, I think some of the laps that Lando's done in qualifying to put the car on pole have been better than what the car deserves." He made the remarks in a print media session, as reported by Pit Debrief.
Piastri admitted there is no single cause for his own struggles. He said he cannot fully trust the rear of the new car. The 2026 rules changed how cars behave.
The back of the car now slides more than he likes. That makes it hard to attack corners with full confidence.
Norris has won twice this year. He converted poles into wins in Hungary and Zandvoort.
A badly timed virtual safety car cost him a third win in Madrid. He was on course for the win. The safety car ruined his timing.
After the summer break, things got worse for McLaren. The team dropped upgrades from the car. They fell back in the speed charts.
Norris still found speed. Piastri struggled far more to adapt.
Why it matters
Last year told the opposite story. Piastri led the 2025 standings for most of the year. The title fight with Norris was very close.
Norris took the championship in the end. The two McLaren drivers looked evenly matched.
This year the picture is very different. Norris is sixth in the standings. Piastri is seventh.
The gap is 63 points after the Singapore Grand Prix. For teammates in the same car, that is a huge margin.
Norris has even praised himself. He said earlier this season that he feels he is doing a better job than everyone else.
Piastri's comments now back that claim up. When your own teammate says you are driving above the car, it carries real weight.
The wider season explains some of the gap. Mercedes have been the team to beat all year. They have won races and fought for podiums at every track.
Ferrari had strong spells too. Lewis Hamilton won at Barcelona-Catalunya. Charles Leclerc won at Silverstone.
McLaren had a short strong run late in the European season. Then Max Verstappen took poles in Malaysia and Singapore for Red Bull Racing.
Teams that bring upgrades at the right time shake up the order. McLaren's upgrades did not work out.
The teammate story at McLaren keeps growing. Team boss Zak Brown has had to manage team orders between Norris and Piastri this season.
The Singapore weekend added more fuel. Pundits like Martin Brundle weighed in on the fallout from the race.
The Singapore crash behind the praise
The praise came just days after the two teammates crashed into each other. The incident happened in the Singapore sprint race.
On the final lap, Norris tried to pass Piastri for fourth place. He clipped Piastri's rear tyre with his front wheel. Both cars spun, according to Reuters.
Norris finished eighth. That was the last points-paying position. Piastri had to retire from the race.
Nine cars failed to finish the sprint. That set a record for the most retirements in a Formula One sprint race. Max Verstappen won the sprint.
Norris apologised on the team radio straight away. "Sorry about that. Obviously I didn't want that to happen but I thought I was fully alongside," he said.
"I just ran out of space at the apex but I was there," Reuters reported.
Piastri played the incident down. He said they were only fighting for fourth and fifth in a sprint race.
"From where I sit, it's for fourth and fifth for a sprint race, so I'm not that bothered either way," he told reporters. "Just obviously it's a lot of work now for the team to get both cars fixed. Just a shame for the team," according to Reuters.
That makes this week's praise even more striking. Piastri praised Norris days after their crash. The crash cost the team valuable points.
Yet Piastri's tone stayed generous and honest.
What happens next
Piastri says he is making progress. He pointed to strong drives in Baku and Malaysia.
In Malaysia, he was hunting down Charles Leclerc for a strong finish before a safety car changed everything. But he was honest about the bigger picture.
There are no magic answers this year. The car and the tyres are very different. That will not change anytime soon.
The real test comes in the final races of the season. Can Piastri close the 63-point gap to Norris? His own words point to the fix.
He needs to find trust in the rear of the car. He needs to adapt his driving style to the new rules.
McLaren's season is now about pride and points. The team is not fighting for the title this year.
The fight that matters is between the two drivers. Norris has the edge right now.
Piastri knows it. And he was honest enough to say it out loud.
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