Lando Norris admits he was ‘not being honest’ and ‘keeping things from’ Oscar Piastri during McLaren meetings.
Lando Norris recently shared that he sometimes tells little “white lies” to his teammate Oscar Piastri to stay competitive—especially with rumors swirling that McLaren might shake up their driver lineup with the surprise arrival of Max Verstappen.
Fans have always found the relationship between Norris and Piastri interesting. Both are top drivers in Formula 1, and McLaren has had to balance supporting them both while they’ve battled for the Drivers’ Championship during the 2024-25 season. Last year, Norris came out on top by winning his first F1 championship, which made things a bit tense for Piastri.
Now, Norris says things aren’t as bad as people think, but sometimes he has to hold back information or bend the truth a little to keep their strategies competitive. On the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast, he explained that a bit of friendly deception happens often between teammates.
“It takes so little to go in that direction as teammates, it’s easy to do,” Norris said. “It can be hiding things, just lying. You know, not sticking to what you said before the races.”
He was quick to add that he doesn’t do this very often and knows there’s a fine line between that and following team orders professionally. He pointed to the 2024 Budapest race when he let Piastri pass to win, even though Norris was leading the championship at the time. That move helped McLaren win the Constructors’ Championship, which also boosted Norris’s chances to become champion.
“We probably wouldn’t have won the Constructors’ for the last two years without that,” Norris said. “And if I had won that race, McLaren might not have achieved what they have.”
Although Norris says their relationship is friendly, the paddock might be in for a big surprise. Reports had Piastri thinking about moving teams after seeing Norris’s success but ultimately sticking with McLaren for now. However, talks could pick up again as Max Verstappen is rumored to be in discussions with McLaren, his future at Red Bull uncertain.
If Verstappen joins McLaren, it’s likely Piastri, whose style is similar to Max’s, might be the one to make way. Norris, who’s used to playing the team game, would probably fit in better alongside Verstappen, while a rivalry between Verstappen and Piastri could be tough for McLaren fans to watch.