By Ian Ransom
(Reuters) – Lando Norris is relishing the prospect of battling teammate Oscar Piastri for the Formula One drivers’ title and says McLaren are ready for any tension that arises.
Pole-sitter Piastri led Norris in a McLaren one-two at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, a week after Norris finished top in the season-opener in Australia.
Norris said his car did not have the pace to catch Piastri in Shanghai, and he ended up glad to finish second ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell with fading brakes in the closing laps.
But the Briton expects closer battles with his Australian teammate as the season progresses.
“I think we’re both excited – probably nervous and excited at the same time – as I’m sure the team will be,” said Norris.
“But we’re ready. We know that as much as we work together and we have a good time and enjoy ourselves, we both know we want to try and beat each other and show who’s best.
“And that’s inevitable. So there’s no point trying to hide away from that fact or make something of it.”
With 44 points from the first two rounds, Norris leads the race for the drivers’ title ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on April 6, eight points clear of Red Bull’s defending champion Max Verstappen, who was fourth in China.
Norris remains the bookmakers’ favourite to win the championship ahead of Piastri, who trails his teammate by 10 points after a costly slide at Albert Park saw him settle for ninth at his home Grand Prix.
While Verstappen won a fourth consecutive drivers’ title last year, Norris and Piastri won six races between them to ensure McLaren took the constructors’ championship.
As the McLaren drivers scrap for race wins, they will also need to help each other to ensure the team can stave off rivals scrambling to bridge the gap, said Norris.
“I think we both achieved something better this weekend because of that (help),” he added.
“And we’ll continue to do that.
“Like Oscar said, at any point other teams can find something … They can catch up quicker than you think, just like we did last year.
“We also have to think as a team and keep pushing the team forward from that side.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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