F1 world champion Jenson Button has nominated the driver on the current grid that he considers as “the worst teammate to have”, and surprisingly, it’s not Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman’s history of crushing his Red Bull teammates is well chronicled, yet Button points to championship leader Oscar Piastri as an aboslute torment for anyone sitting on the other side of the garage.
As the 2025 title fight heads into an important chapter this weekend at Silverstone, Piastri leads the standings by 15 points over McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
The Australian’s relentless consistency and cool-headed approach have seen him quietly build a lead despite Norris’s flashes of brilliance – and Button believes that’s exactly what makes Piastri so formidable in a teammate dynamic.
Speaking on Sky’s F1 Show after Friday’s second practice session at Silverstone, Button highlighted Piastri’s ability to bounce back from setbacks.
“With Oscar, he just comes back stronger when he has a tough weekend,” Button explained. “He’s so calm. For me, Oscar would be the worst teammate to have because you can’t rattle him.
“It’s really tough. But then Lando’s extremely quick, so they have their strengths and weaknesses.”
While the rivalry between Norris and Piastri remains respectful and even friendly off-track, the battle for supremacy within McLaren is tightening — and the stakes are enormous, with both drivers now firmly in the title hunt.
Last season, Norris dominated Piastri in qualifying with a 20-4 record. But in 2025, the tables have begun to turn. Piastri currently leads 6-5 in Grand Prix qualifying sessions and has more wins so far this season — a key factor in his current position at the top of the championship.
Despite Norris’s pole-position heroics and win in Austria, Piastri’s relative strength over race distances and his quiet ability to avoid costly errors have kept him in front in the standings.
In an interview with The Telegraph conducted ahead of the British Grand Prix, Piastri opened up on his dynamic with Norris and his approach to competition. While he acknowledged Norris’s openness as a positive trait, he suggested it may not always work to his advantage.
“Lando is a very open person,” Piastri said. “Speaking honestly, sometimes to his own detriment. But at the same time, it is a good quality to have. We are different people, but I do respect the way he goes about it.
“My opinion is you can’t give an inch to anyone, regardless of who it is – in racing or in sport. And that doesn’t really change. Especially once the helmet goes on.
“I get on with Lando. But once the helmet goes on, for all 20 of us, there are no more friends.”
The Norris-Piastri rivalry has become one of the most compelling storylines of the 2025 season – not just because of their pace, but because of the contrasting personalities and approaches they bring to the garage.
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Norris is fast, fiery, and emotionally open. Piastri is clinical, composed, and ice-cool under pressure. Together, they have made McLaren a formidable force, but only one can be world champion.
And according to Jenson Button, if he had to choose one to not go up against in the same team, it’s clear who he’d avoid.
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