Lando Norris receives stern instruction on how to vanquish Oscar Piastri in F1 title fight

Martin Brundle believes Lando Norris will need to perform consistently at his best to beat Oscar Piastri to the F1 drivers' title this season.

The McLaren team-mates are locked into an intense battle for their first championship, respectively, with the Australian leading by 16 points just one round removed from the summer break.

After this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris will have 10 rounds to reel in and pass the 24-year-old, who has won six grands prix to the Briton's four this term.

At the Belgian Grand Prix, Norris failed to capitalise on pole position, which produced a 14-point swing in Piastri's favour.

It was an error-strewn race at Spa-Francorchamps for the 25-year-old, and Brundle feels his A-game will be required hereon out against his "more consistent" and "more clinical" championship rival.

Nonetheless, the F1 driver-turned-commentator still feels Norris is the quicker of the two, but also that Piastri will now be difficult to supplant.

"I've felt the same way all year," the 66-year-old wrote in his Sky Sports F1 column.

"When all the stars align, I believe Lando is marginally the faster, but Oscar is more consistent, makes fewer errors, and is more clinical in combat.

"And his head is always rock solid. He'll take some beating in the closing stages now."

Brundle suggested the pair could reach new levels down the stretch, but maintained Norris will need to persistently outperform Piastri during the run-in.

"Lando will need absolutely all he's got, all the time, to win this.

"We've very often seen two championship combatants find an overdrive and move to a scarcely believable level of delivery; it will be interesting to see if that happens over the next three sprints and 10 grands prix."