Norris credits Piastri rivalry after Spa pole: ‘A tough but good battle’

Lando Norris silenced doubters and reasserted his championship credentials with a commanding pole position for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, as he praised McLaren’s performance and the “tough but good” intra-team battle with Oscar Piastri.

After trailing his teammate by nearly six tenths in Friday’s sprint qualifying and finishing behind him in the Sprint race on Saturday, Norris bounced back in emphatic style during the Grand Prix’s proper qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps.

His lap in Q3 secured his first-ever pole position in Belgium and his fourth of the 2025 season.

“The car has been flying all weekend”

Norris was quick to push back against narratives that questioned his form following the sprint shootout, making clear that the gap to Piastri was not as significant as it appeared.

“Three-tenths is just slipstream and not being first out the pit lane,” Norris said. “It was nothing to worry about but people like to make a lot of things up… I felt good. The car has been flying all weekend.”

The British driver explained that any concern from Friday was overblown, and his confidence never wavered heading into the decisive qualifying session.

“It was a decent lap, of course. Happy. Everyone was pretty worried after yesterday,” he added.

“I wasn’t even that far off. It was just a couple of little issues that we had. I was confident after yesterday and confident coming into today so it’s nice to see that I could get back to the top.”

Norris has been in a rich vein of form lately, coming off back-to-back wins, and now finds himself on the front row once again with a strong shot at adding another victory in what could be a rain-affected race.

McLaren Rivalry Elevating Performance

While Norris reclaimed the spotlight on Saturday afternoon, he was quick to praise his teammate Piastri, whose consistently strong performances have created a fierce yet respectful battle at McLaren.

“Oscar’s been doing a good job all weekend,” Norris said. “We’re pushing each other a lot like he said. It’s tough because you see where your strengths and weaknesses are easily.

“You learn from each other quickly. It’s a good, but tough battle that we have at the minute.”

The mutual challenge between the two young drivers has become one of the standout storylines of the 2025 season, as both continue to push McLaren into serious title contention.

Looking Ahead to a Wet and Wild Sunday

With rain looming once again over the Ardennes, Sunday’s Grand Prix could deliver another chaotic chapter at Spa, a circuit notorious for weather swings. Norris, however, has already proven his wet-weather skills this season with victories in Australia and Britain – both affected by rain.

Still, the McLaren driver is hoping for a more straightforward afternoon.

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“I’d prefer it to stay dry, honestly,” Norris admitted. “Even for the fans. It’s rained here for like the last 10 years or something so it would be nice to have a dry Sunday.

“I don’t mind whether it’s dry or rain or whatever it is, somewhere in the middle. It’s normal here and I look forward to a fun race.”

With pole position in hand, a fast McLaren beneath him, and the confidence of a driver at the peak of his powers, Norris now looks poised to continue his mid-season surge.

But with his teammate just behind, Ferrari and Red Bull lurking, and Spa’s weather as unpredictable as ever, Sunday’s showdown could be far from routine.

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