‘He’s Not Superman…He’s Still Just Lando’: Oscar Piastri Sets Sights On 2026 F1 Title Push

Last Updated:December 08, 2025, 10:45 IST

Piastri eyes the 2026 F1 season to be his own after matching Lando Norris in wins this year, vowing fairness at McLaren and a fierce rivalry for the championship.

Oscar Piastri will be gunning to overthrow Norris next season (X)

Oscar Piastri isn’t buying into the idea that Lando Norris has suddenly turned superhuman — world title or not.

And after a season where the Aussie matched Norris win-for-win, he’s already eyeing 2026 as the year he rips the cape right off his teammate.

Piastri’s chase to become Australia’s first Formula One world champion in 45 years ended with a respectable — but frustrating — third overall, as Norris sealed the deal in Abu Dhabi.

His seven victories were level with the new champion and just one shy of Max Verstappen, whose four-year reign finally snapped.

McLaren, meanwhile, roll into 2026 as back-to-back constructors’ champions, and Piastri has made it clear he’s coming for the bigger prize.

“Obviously, the new season is not far away… new challenges for next year,” he said, already switching into rebuild mode.

But it’s the Norris dynamic that really tells the story.

“He’s obviously had a great season and is a deserving champion,” Piastri admitted, “but he’s still Lando Norris. It’s not like he’s become Superman.”

That line — half compliment, half competitive jab — underlines how Piastri views 2025: not as an uphill climb against a mythical hero, but a fair fight against a fast teammate.

And fairness matters to him, especially after a year of razor-thin margins, shared strategies, and tension that occasionally pushed the garage to its limits.

“I’m expecting full fairness from the team and equality going forward. I don’t have any concerns that that will change,” he added.

The Australian also insisted that the intense internal rivalry only sharpened him this season.

“Sometimes that’s been uncomfortable for everyone, but ultimately… a good thing.”

With a new engine era arriving, rules being ripped up, and pre-season testing bumped forward to January, the entire competitive order could shift.

Conveniently, the season starts on home soil in Australia on March 8 — the perfect stage for Oscar Piastri to prove that next year, he’s the one flying.

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