Piastri contradicts Red Bull statements: "You always win from that

09:30, 31 Mar

byJordan Brooks

It is often said that there is no heavier job than being Max Verstappen's teammate: a strong teammate means more pressure on your shoulders. However, Oscar Piastri does not agree with that statement, he states that having a strong teammate can actually push you to become better.

The McLaren team has started the 2025 Formula 1 season exceptionally strong, with two wins out of two Grands Prix. Only during the sprint race in China, the British team could not go for the gold, as the victory went to Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari.

With Piastri and Norris, McLaren has gold in their hands, as has become evident. And according to Piastri, this is mainly because the drivers know how to push each other significantly."I think we have different strengths and weaknesses as drivers," Piastri said after the race in Shanghai.

"I think there were certain points this weekend [GP China] where it just worked a little in my favor, of course. And I think there have been other weekends where it absolutely wasn't the case, and I had to try to look at things from how Lando has driven and apply them myself."

Piastri happy with a strong teammate like Norris

Piastri is convinced that having a strong teammate makes you a better driver. However, Red Bull Racing is living proof that this is not always the case. Max Verstappen is seen as one of the strongest drivers on the grid, but his presence generally seems to work against his teammates.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has often said it: being Max Verstappen's teammate is the toughest job you can have in Formula 1."I think that is absolutely the advantage - or an advantage - we have," he continues. "If you have strong teammates, you always learn from each other. It is impossible to measure how much lap time you gain by pushing each other, but you do gain something, that's for sure."

"So I think we always push each other, always learn things. I have certainly learned a lot in the past few years." He suggests that he might have been able to learn something from Norris in China as well. "I think we learn from each other one thing or another each weekend."