As Formula 1 reaches its summer break, which drivers have out-performed their team mates so far this season? We take a look at the data in the first part of our new series of team mate head-to-heads, beginning with the McLaren drivers.
The stability in McLaren’s Formula 1 driver line-up stands in stark contrast to the situation at its IndyCar team, which has become the butt of jokes after a string of changes this year (most but not all of which were triggered by injuries).
Having hired the young pairing of Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard to partner Pato O’Ward, the team remarked it hoped to replicate the success it had enjoyed in F1 with its relatively junior but highly capable duo.
It’s no wonder McLaren have locked down Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for the long-term. They have served the team extremely well over the last year and a half while their car has gone from Q1 exits to race wins.
Now the question is whether they can make the transition from race winners to champions. The constructors’ title is a genuine possibility for them this year, particularly since Red Bull have confirmed Sergio Perez will remain alongside Max Verstappen.
The ever-improving Piastri has increasingly given Norris headaches. He was breathing down his team mate’s neck as the rain fell at Silverstone, then made the tactical error which may have cost him victory. Next time out at the Hungaroring the team had to intervene to tell Norris to give Piastri his lead back – which became his breakthrough triumph.
McLaren had to deal with this kind of thing last year as well. Piastri made way for his team mate more than once, then in Qatar the pair were ordered to hold position while the rookie driver was ahead, a decision Norris queried. “We ask drivers to challenge us,” said team principal Andrea Stella afterwards. They certainly got their wish in Hungary, where Norris’ race engineer Will Joseph spent 20 laps cajoling him into giving up victory.
Following that episode McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the team will decide during the summer break whether it will throw all its weight behind one driver in the championship. Norris, self-critical as always, said he doesn’t feel he’s earned it.
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Looking at the numbers, it’s hard to argue. Norris has consistently out-performed Piastri in qualifying, but let too many opportunities pass him by on…
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