McLaren’s Path to F1 Drivers’ Championship “Horrible” Says Hakkinen

Mika Hakkinen: McLaren’s “Nightmare” Driver Battle Is a Beautiful Human Test

The McLaren garage faces what double world champion Mika Hakkinen calls a “nightmare” situation as teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri battle for the drivers’ championship separated by just a single point.

“This is racing and one of these drivers, they can win a championship. It’s a nightmare. It’s an absolutely horrible situation in such a team,” Hakkinen said bluntly.

The championship fight has dramatically tightened after what’s been a rollercoaster few races for both drivers.

Norris has been on a stellar run, overcoming what once seemed an insurmountable gap from Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Piastri has watched his comfortable lead evaporate not just to his teammate but also seen it severely cut by reigning champion Max Verstappen.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Hakkinen explained the delicate management challenge facing McLaren’s leadership.

“Now going towards the end of the season, Zak Brown, Andrea [Stella], they have to work so close with the drivers, that they find a beautiful harmony towards the end of the season.”

But the Finnish racing legend was quick to clarify that he didn’t see anything negative about the situation.

“I don’t mean negatively. I just mean it is what it is, and this is like a human test of everybody, how they’re able to manage the harmony that way.”

The intrateam dynamic will be crucial over the remaining races as both drivers try to balance their personal championship ambitions with the team’s overall success.

“There has to be this agreement, what the drivers and the management have to do. Nobody don’t just walk past each other like this. They always stop and they discuss how we can do it better,” Hakkinen explained.

He believes McLaren has the right ingredients to handle this pressure cooker situation.

“It’s a beautiful team. You want this season to end up in a perfect way, and that’s why I think Lando is already quite experienced about Formula 1, Oscar is getting there. So I believe that they will find ways to end the season in a good way.”

## Norris Dominating Piastri on Pure Pace

The championship swing became evident at the Mexican Grand Prix where Piastri struggled throughout the weekend.

He lagged a massive six-tenths behind Norris in qualifying – what F1 analyst Jolyon Palmer called “the largest teammate delta on the grid.”

The race didn’t get much better. Piastri’s fifth-place finish was more about good fortune than raw pace, benefiting from Lewis Hamilton‘s penalty and Kimi Antonelli’s slow pit stop.

While a bold pass on George Russell showed his fighting spirit, the performance gap to Norris remains a serious concern for the Australian’s title hopes.

Piastri ultimately dropped 15 crucial championship points to Norris in Mexico, enough to flip the championship lead to his British teammate.

With the margins this tight and the pressure mounting, how McLaren manages this delicate “human test” could determine not just who wins the drivers’ title, but whether the team can maintain its newfound momentum into next season.

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