McLaren warned over 'intense' F1 driver line-up

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle has predicted the battle between the McLaren drivers will only become more “intense” as the season progresses.

After Lando Norris claimed victory at the season-opening race in Australia, Oscar Piastri struck back with a win in China on Sunday.

McLaren entered the new campaign as the favourites to lead the pack and has so far delivered, holding a 21-point advantage in the constructors' standings at this early stage.

Norris leads the drivers' championship with Piastri, playing catch-up following a low-scoring race in Melbourne following a spin in the wet when on course for second place.

But as the season progresses, Brundle sees matters becoming more complicated between the McLaren drivers as they target their maiden titles.

“Norris leaves China with one more point advantage over [Max] Verstappen in the championship than before he arrived, but more ominously for him, Piastri is now only 10 points behind,” he wrote in his Sky F1 column. 

“Next up is Suzuka. It's going to get intense between the McLaren pairing.”

Piastri controlled the race in Shanghai at the weekend, converting his pole position into victory, while Norris struggled in the closing laps with a "critical" brake issue.

Following its strong start to the new year, Brundle hailed the growth McLaren has enjoyed in recent years.

“Another question was whether Norris could mount a challenge on his team-mate and championship rival Piastri,” Brundle added.

“But a disappearing brake pedal which became virtually non-existent on the final lap put paid to that, and Norris did well to just hold off Russell having another good day for Mercedes.

“It was the 50th one-two in McLaren's history and they really are on a roll these days.”