Brundle: Norris Still Lacks Piastri's 'Laser-Guided' Overtaking Despite Title Win
Martin Brundle argues that while Lando Norris's improved racecraft won him the 2025 title, he still lacks the "absolute, laser-guided, bold overtaking" of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who showcased that elite skill during multiple dominant wins before his late-season slump.
Despite Lando Norris securing the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle has pointed out a key area where the new champion still trails his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri: the boldness and precision of his overtaking. Brundle's analysis highlights that while Norris's racecraft was pivotal to his title success, Piastri's aggressive passing remains a distinct and superior trait.
Why it matters:
In a sport where overtaking is a critical differentiator, Brundle's observation underscores that even a world champion has room for growth. It frames Piastri not just as a runner-up, but as a driver possessing a specific, elite skill that his more successful teammate has yet to master. This nuanced comparison adds depth to the narrative of McLaren's dominant season and sets the stage for their 2026 intra-team dynamic.
The details:
- Brundle praised Norris's significant improvement in racecraft, tyre management, and defensive driving, calling out his strategic "Pirelli-whispering" win in Budapest as a key title moment.
- However, he directly contrasted this with Piastri's ability, stating: "Norris still doesn’t have Piastri’s absolute, laser-guided, bold overtaking."
- The former F1 driver highlighted Piastri's run of "sensational victories" in China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Miami, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands as evidence of the Australian being the "undisputed class of the field" for much of the season.
- Piastri's championship challenge ultimately faded due to a significant performance slump in the second half of the season, a dip former team principal Guenther Steiner suggested the driver must reflect on personally.
The big picture:
Brundle's comments paint a picture of two drivers who reached the pinnacle of the sport via different strengths. Norris's championship was built on consistency, intelligent race management, and capitalizing on opportunities—a complete driver package. Piastri, meanwhile, demonstrated a peak of raw, aggressive speed and overtaking prowess that even his world champion teammate could not match, but he lacked the season-long consistency to convert that into a title. This analysis suggests that if Piastri can solve his consistency issues and Norris can incorporate a more aggressive overtaking style, McLaren's driver lineup could become even more formidable.
What's next:
The focus for both drivers and McLaren now shifts to 2026. For Norris, the challenge is to add that final layer of "laser-guided" overtaking to his champion's repertoire. For Piastri, the mission is to rediscover his early-season form and maintain it across a full campaign. Their development in these specific areas will not only define their next championship battle but also determine if McLaren can sustain its hard-won dominance into the next regulatory era.