Oscar Piastri had a challenging but promising second season in Formula 1, racing alongside Lando Norris at McLaren.

While McLaren finished the 2024 season with their first Constructors' Championship title since 1998, Piastri found himself behind Norris for much of the year. The Briton had a clear advantage, leading the Australian 21-3 in qualifying and 16-8 in race finishes.

Despite this, Piastri showed real progress, especially in the middle of the season. He won his first F1 race in Hungary, though it was overshadowed by tension with Norris over the team’s race strategy, but later on proved his qualities by winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as well.

Piastri and Norris had a few moments of friction, particularly when Piastri overtook Norris in Monza, costing him a possible win. McLaren then invented the so called “papaya rules” to help Norris in the championship battle against Max Verstappen.

However, Piastri took the challenge in stride, saying that racing against a teammate like Norris is a good thing in the end. 

"He’s definitely a tough teammate to go up against, but I think that’s a good thing. You want to always compare yourself to the best," Piastri explained to The Gentleman’s Journal.

Looking ahead to 2025, Piastri expects more moments of tension with Norris, especially if McLaren continues to challenge for top positions. He even referenced the famous rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg as an example of how competition can sometimes create tension.

"If we’re fighting for first and second every weekend, then there’s always a little bit more tension," he said.

“We’ve seen in the past, look at Lewis [Hamilton] and Nico [Rosberg], when you’re fighting for first and second, that’s when things can sometimes change a little bit.

"We’ve been in a position like that a few times now. It is difficult to have true friends on the grid, because at the end of the day, you’re trying to beat them all the time."