McLaren’s rising tensions: Can Lando Norris keep his championship hopes alive?
McLaren have been an unstoppable force this season, racking up 374 points so far.
With 2025 being Lando Norris’ sixth season with the team, he is under pressure to continue to perform, especially considering the challenge his team-mate has presented.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Madison Stoneman discusses his season so far and what we are to expect later on.
Consistency issues
Lando Norris has been performing strongly so far this season, frequently finishing on the podium.
He won in Australia and Monaco, both impressive races to win with Australia being the opening race of the season, setting himself up as a contender for the Drivers’ Championship as early as possible.
However, he has also been noted to make rookie errors when racing, the most recent in Canada last weekend.
When Norris gets overly confident, he begins to make mistakes that he wouldn’t usually do, making him an unreliable driver.
Although he still achieves great results, his lack of consistency may cost him the championship for the second year in a row.
Teammate battles
Fellow team-mate, Oscar Piastri, has shocked the Formula 1 fanbase with his driving quality this season.
He has been a strong contender for the championship all season long with a total of 198 points so far.
Norris and Piastri work well as a team to fend off Max Verstappen and prevent him from dominating like in previous seasons, but what happens if they begin to fight each other instead?
At the Canadian Grand Prix, Norris ended his race early by colliding into the back of his team-mate's car.
This could be a sign that tensions are beginning to rise between the McLarens.
Piastri has outshone Norris this season which may have created issues similar to the Red Bull drivers in 2018.
However, this may have just been an unfortunate accident as the drivers are yet to show any negativity towards each other.
Championship runner-up
Last season, Norris was runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship standings after an intense set of races.
This led him to be a fan favourite to win this season after he showcased that he had the potential to be successful this time around.
Due to his inconsistencies and little mistakes, it appears as if he may fall second again this season, only this time, to his teammate.
He is currently in second 21 points ahead of Max Verstappen, but does he have what it takes to beat Piastri in the upcoming races?
With two wins already under his belt, it is not impossible for him to catch up to his team-mate, as there are only 22 points separating the two drivers.
However, we will have to wait and see how the rest of the season plays out. Bring on Round 11 of 24.
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