Montoya explains why Norris is faster than Piastri at McLaren right now
The gap between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri isn’t about favoritism – it’s all about car setup, according to former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya.
“Where are they sabotaging?” Montoya asked sarcastically on his MontoyAS podcast. “The biggest difference is that Norris has a much looser balance than Piastri, which is why he’s faster.”
It comes down to specific handling characteristics that suit one driver better than the other.
“If you look at the telemetry in the middle of the corner, when Oscar turns the wheel, the car doesn’t rotate as much as Lando’s, and that’s what makes the difference. One car turns faster than the other.”
Montoya believes McLaren simply needs to be more aggressive with their qualifying setups to maximize their potential.
“They have enough race pace, but if they don’t get a good grid position, it doesn’t help them at all,” he explained.
The Colombian veteran firmly dismissed any conspiracy theories about team favoritism.
“Each side of McLaren is focused on making their own driver win. It’s not like McLaren decided, ‘We’ll make Lando fast and slow Oscar down.'”
Instead, he sees it as a natural result of different driving styles and setup preferences.
“They make changes, and both drivers try them. The idea is, let’s adjust the car to make it faster. One driver can handle it, the other struggles.”
## Championship battle heads to Brazil
The stakes couldn’t be higher as F1 arrives at Interlagos this weekend.
Norris just claimed the championship lead in Mexico with a stunning victory – finishing a massive 30 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
He now leads his teammate by just a single point.
Piastri had a much tougher time in Mexico, qualifying well behind Norris and only managing fifth in the race. The young Australian now finds himself in the unfamiliar position of chasing his teammate in the standings.
With just a handful of races left, Brazil could prove pivotal in deciding which McLaren driver emerges on top in this increasingly fascinating championship battle.
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