Lando Norris brutally taken down in 'weak' character assassination

Lando Norris has been branded "weak" by 1980 F1 drivers' champion Alan Jones, who believes much of what the McLaren driver says in the media is "nonsense".

The forthright Australian feels compatriot Oscar Piastri, team-mate to Norris, has all the ingredients to win the drivers' championship this season.

Jones, who won his title racing for Williams, highlighted how the first person a driver must beat is the one in the garage next to them.

The 78-year-old suggested there is a mental discrepancy between the McLaren drivers, arguing that the way in which Norris has spoken in the press of late shows that Piastri has "got" him.

Having started the season well, the 2021 F2 champion now leads the British driver by 10 points in the drivers' standings, after clawing back an early deficit.

The 24-year-old has made significant improvements to his one lap pace from last year, when qualifying was a notable weakness compared to Norris, who has seen mistakes creep in over recent rounds.

"He [Piastri] is without a doubt a future world champion," Jones told The Back Page on Fox Sports. "He’s come out of almost nowhere and he’s got all the attributes that you need to be a world champion.

"The first person you’ve got to beat is your team-mate," Jones added. "He can do it [win the F1 drivers' title] this year, no question. At the end of the day, his team-mate [Norris] is weak.

"His team-mate is quite quick, there’s no doubt about that. But mentally, I think he’s quite a weak person. He’s coming out with all this nonsense that he’s got a bit of a mental thing, he’s dwelling on some of the problems he’s had rather than the positives.

"When they start talking all that nonsense, you know you’ve got them."

Piastri 'grows horns' behind the wheel

Whilst Norris has shared his vulnerability and unadulterated feelings publicly, often expressed as self-criticism, Piastri is a much more reserved character.

The five-time grand prix winner has shown himself to be unflappable behind the wheel, something Jones does not feel is the case with Norris.

"Oscar is a pretty strong-minded young kid. I love him," Jones said. "He doesn’t show off, he doesn’t dance all over the place. He’s just a strong individual and that’s exactly what we need to get the job done.

"He’s got an old head on young shoulders. He’s very, very mature. He’s very laid back. He’s not easily ruffled, whereas I think his team-mate is a little bit the opposite way.

"I think the team-mate could be blown out quite easily and I think Oscar will take advantage of that. He’s got the brains and the strength to do that. He’s very laid back, he doesn't say much and he gets on with it, which I love.

"Out of the car he’s quiet, but when he gets in the car he grows horns and that’s what you want."