Piastri ready to race Norris for Dutch GP win

©McLaren

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Lando Norris will have his hands full in Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix, as the Briton will be contending not only with championship leader Max Verstappen but also with his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri.

As the team papaya continues its push to challenge Red Bull's dominance this season, Norris and Piastri have been given the green light by their team to race each other.

Despite qualifying third behind his teammate Verstappen, Piastri believes he has the pace to challenge for an outright win.

“I think until the last lap, it was pretty good,” he said, assessing his run in Q3.

“Obviously, I think with the pace we had, I think P3 is not exactly a result to be jumping up and down about.

“But no, I think the rest of qualifying was pretty good. It all ran smoothly and I think a lot of those things were positive, just didn’t quite nail it when I needed to at the end.

“So a bit disappointing there, but we’ve still got a lot of opportunities starting from where we are.”

Read also: Stella counters Norris self-criticism: ‘He’s world championship material’

While the team has not ruled out the possibility of using team orders to help Norris in his championship battle with Verstappen, Piastri insists that he will be free to race for the win.

"Yeah, the rules are very, very clear and haven't changed," Piastri said. "And yeah, we're free to race each other to try and win."

"Of course, we're in a Constructors' Championship fight and we know that there's a lot at stake for the team,

"But we've shown time and time again that we can race each other well, race each other cleanly."

The winner of last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix believes that a strong start and a good strategy could give him the opportunity to challenge for the lead.

"I think try and, of course, get a good start," he said. "That would be the first plan. And yeah, strategy could be an interesting thing.

"So we'll see. I think we've got a very quick car underneath us, and hopefully we can use that on my side to go a bit further forward."

The Dutch Grand Prix promises to be an exciting race, with several drivers in contention for the victory. Piastri's determination and McLaren's strong car performance make him a potential contender for the top spot.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.