The Tale of Two McLarens

Norris and Piastri may be close in terms of speed, but not in terms of mental strength.

When you’re fighting for the championship, the brightest lights are focused on you. The spotlight reveals both your strengths and weaknesses. You’re under a microscope, and even the smallest mistake you make will not go unnoticed, unlike when you were competing in the midfield.

The Bahrain Grand Prix and its lead-up once again highlighted the stark contrast between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Although I think the McLaren teammates are closely matched in terms of speed and skill this year—meaning neither is head and shoulders above the other—when it comes to the mental game, they’re miles apart.

Straws vs. Bricks

Whenever someone makes a comment that, even in the most benign way, could call into question Norris’ quality as a driver, he becomes defensive and lashes out, as if he has a big chip on his shoulder.

This was evident recently when Max Verstappen had taken a jab at Norris and Piastri. The Dutchman remarked to journalists after the Japanese Grand Prix that they wouldn't have seen him, had he been driving the McLaren.

Norris began his response with, “I don’t mind” and “I don’t care, honestly.” However, his subsequent remarks, particularly his questioning of the quality of his car—comparable to questioning whether a desert is made of sand—revealed that he does mind and does care:

I have a lot of respect for Max but I also know some things are not true, he can come and test our car any day that he wants and I’ll be excited to see the disappointment on his face after he gets out.

Verstappen threw out a bait, and Norris bit it like a hungry fish.

Piastri, on the other hand, appeared unfazed. He diplomatically stated that the Red Bull is hard to drive and that achieving immediate success in an environment that has been centered around Verstappen for the past ten years would be difficult.

Finally, between the lines, he admitted that he enjoys having the superior car:

I'm quite happy that I'm driving a McLaren and not a Red Bull at the moment.

If we use the old fable Three Little Pigs as a comparison, Verstappen played the role of the Big Bad Wolf, Norris was the pig who built his house of straw, and Piastri was the one living in the house made of bricks. The Big Bad Wolf blew down the former, but he couldn’t move the latter.

Dwelling vs. Moving Forward

Weak people dwell on their past mistakes, while strong people move forward.

Norris, after a disappointing qualifying session, was quite downcast and hard on himself. The result appeared to hit him hard, creating a snowball effect during the race.

Although he underperformed on Saturday and qualified 6th, he could have and should have finished at least 2nd instead of 3rd on Sunday, if it had not been for his own mistakes.

First, he got himself a 5 second penalty for being out of his grid slot at the start of the race. Then, he overtook Lewis Hamilton off the track and had to give the position back, which cost him precious time. Finally, while battling Charles Leclerc, he went too deep, locked his wheels, and ventured off the track.

This year, Piastri has addressed his previous shortcomings by winning the next races: a disappointing result in Australia, a triumphant victory in China, a blown pole position and consequently a win in Japan, a dominant performance from start to finish in Bahrain. He acknowledges his mistakes, but they don’t stay in his head for too long. He evicts them pretty quickly.

Piastri, the Championship Favorite

This year, the McLaren is, hands down, the best car on the grid. This positions Norris and Piastri as the primary contenders and rivals for the championship. Currently, they only need to focus on themselves, as other drivers pose a threat only if they finish between the two McLaren teammates.

You don’t need to be a sports psychologist to understand that a calm, composed, and stoic demeanor is far better suited for the high-stress environment of Formula 1 than its complete opposite.

As the championship progresses, the intensity and stress will only increase, making a calm, composed, and stoic demeanor increasingly valuable. It may even prove to be the deciding factor.