Oscar Piastri exit from McLaren weighed up in key 'honeymoon' difference

Former F1 engineer Rob Smedley has pointed to a key difference between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri regarding their futures.

McLaren has the longest unchanged driver line-up on the current F1 grid, with both Norris and Piastri having long-term deals in place.

The team has enjoyed a highly successful run of seasons, peaking with a double championship success last year, with Norris coming out on top in the drivers' championship.

Although McLaren failed to carry over its title-contending form to 2026, Norris has continued to outpace Piastri, as was the case in the latter half of his title-winning campaign.

It was suggested by one of the hosts of the High Performance Racing podcast that Piastri could look to leave the team in the near future and seek an opportunity elsewhere.

Weighing in on the subject, Smedley pointed out that there appears to be a much different atmosphere on Norris' side of the garage.

When the possibility of Piastri leaving the team was put to him, Smedley replied: “Yeah, as long as it was a better team.

“Lando says all the time, 'I want to spend my whole career here'. He's in a honeymoon period and he loves the team, blah blah blah.

“But you don't hear Oscar saying that very much, 'I'll spend my whole career here.”

McLaren returned to the top step of the podium last time out in Hungary, as a significant car upgrade aided Norris' run to first place.