F1 champion provides 'blot on copybook' Norris vs Piastri assessment

Damon Hill has shared his thoughts on the developing dynamic between McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The 1996 F1 drivers' champion, who spoke exclusively to RacingNews365 at the F1 Exhibition in London, believes Norris still retains a "tiny, little bit of an advantage", but it will be "fascinating to watch" how things unfold between the pair.

The British driver comfortably beat his rookie team-mate last season, scoring 205 points to Piastri's 97. Whilst a delta remained, by the end of the campaign, the Australian had slowly started to close the performance gap, and was first to claim a win in F1 - triumphing in the Qatar sprint race.

This term, the difference between the two held steady over the first seven rounds, with Norris taking a maiden grand prix victory in Miami and narrowly falling short of a repeat two weeks later at Imola.

At that point, the 24-year-old led Piastri 101 points to 53. However, in the subsequent seven rounds, the 23-year-old has turned the balance of power on its head, scoring 114 points whilst Norris has only managed a further 98.

I think it's fascinating to watch," Hill replies when asked how he sees the dynamic between the pair unfolding. "I think Oscar has put pressure on Lando.

"Lando's nearly always got a tiny, little bit of an advantage, particularly in races, but you've got to remember, this is only a second season for Oscar. He's a fast learner, so the pair of them are a very strong team."

'Not a blot on your copybook...'

Heading out of the summer break, Norris is looking to mount a challenge for the drivers' title.

But, at 78 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen, it is a tall order for the British driver, as F1 embarks on the final 10 rounds of the season.

Significantly more likely, however, is that Norris ends the year as not even the leading driver in his own team.

With Piastri only 32 points adrift of his more experienced team-mate, there remains the very real possibility that he is able to reel Norris in over the coming rounds.

Although, to Hill, this may not be as major an issue as it immediately appears to be. "I don't think anyone wants to be beaten by their team-mate," he explains.

"But if you're going to be beaten by Oscar Piastri, that's not a blot on your copybook at all, because I think he's highly rated now."