Former F1 driver identifies 'pure' difference separating Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Lando Norris is not of F1 drivers' champion material, according to former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos.

The Dutchman, who also raced for Minardi, believes that this is the main difference separating the British driver from Oscar Piastri, whom Norris trails by 22 points in the standings after his costly mistake in the Canadian GP, where he crashed into the back of Piastri, eliminating himself. 

When asked about what that incident with Piastri says about the 25-year-old, Doornbos suggested that the six-time grand prix winner does not have the elusive "magical touch" of a champion.

"That he's not [on] the level of Oscar," Doornbos replied on The Pit Talk Podcast. "I think Oscar really is a world championship driver, with many titles in the near future.

"Then there's a difference between a very good grand prix driver who can win races, who's up there, but doesn't have this magical touch."

The 43-year-old lent on his own experience to make his case, contrasting Sebastian Vettel against a host of other Red Bull drivers from his era in F1.

"For example, [David] Coulthard, [Mark] Webber, [Robert] Doornbos," he added with a light-hearted cough.

"Great drivers, but then there's Sebastian Vettel, who's always two or three turns faster, and if you add that up during a grand prix...

"And the way he drives, the way he defends, Oscar - it's different [to Norris]."

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'Data doesn't lie, right?'

When asked what specifically that is and whether it is tangible, Doornbos again used his own career as a reference point to illustrate his argument.

"It's pure talent," he explained. "I mean, data doesn't lie, right? So you can read your data, you get your data.

"When I did a shootout with Vettel in the same car in Jerez, I got the data and he was three-tenths faster.

"And you go look at the data, and you're like, 'okay, Turn 1 he brakes two metres later, but you arrive at 300 kilometres an hour, what is two meters at 300 kilometres an hour?'

"It's pure instinct. He goes on the power half a second earlier. You add that up over 15 corners, and it's three tenths, but it's three tenths [for] 70 laps in a row.

"So if you add that up, then it's the difference between finishing on the podium or finishing eighth or ninth."

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