Oscar Piastri has set out what he expects from his relationship with Lando Norris when they become McLaren teammates in 2023. The Australian was recently confirmed to join the Woking-based squad next year, with the FIA's Contract Recognition Board having ruled in the team's favour following a battle for his services with Alpine. Piastri will be joining as a rookie, while Norris has been racing for McLaren since 2019 and holds a long-term contract with the outfit until the end of 2025. While the two do not yet know each other well, Piastri is hopeful that they can get along. "Firstly, I don't know Lando that well," Piastri told the In The Fast Lane podcast. "I've spoken to him a couple of times very briefly, and we've got a few mutual friends in common. But I'm looking forward to getting to know him, both personally and professionally."
Piastri hoping to learn from Norris
With Norris heading into his fifth season in Formula 1 in 2023, Piastri believes that he can learn a lot from his new teammate. "I think our junior careers have been quite similar," the 21-year-old said. "He's obviously proven as well in F1 that he's a very capable driver and a strong driver as well. "I'm looking forward to being able to show what I have, but also there's undoubtedly going to be things to learn along the way, and I think Lando is a very strong teammate to be able to learn from."
Can Piastri and Norris push McLaren to the front?
Ultimately, Piastri hopes that he and Norris can work together to push McLaren further up the grid. "I'm looking forward to [working with Norris], and I think it'll be a good working relationship," the F1 rookie continued. "Obviously, we're both quite similar in age, we've got a few friends in common. "I'm confident we'll be able to work well together and hopefully bring the whole team more towards the front of the grid, because that's the aim." Piastri will replace Daniel Ricciardo at the team, whose own future in the sport is currently unclear.
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