Aussie star driver Oscar Piastri is bullish of challenging teammate Lando Norris in 2025

Australia’s hope of a homegrown winner at Albert Park, Oscar Piastri is bullish of challenging teammate Lando Norris in 2025, while responding to English press with a brutal Ashes sledge.

Taking his cue from Australia’s cricketers, Oscar Piastri has whacked his English teammate Lando Norris for six ahead of this weekend’s season-opening Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Cheekily asked by the Pommie press to rate his chances of winning the world championship against Australia’s chances of retaining the Ashes, Piastri could not resist the temptation of sledging the old enemy.

“To get it in early, the Ashes is not even going to be a contest,” replied a patriotic Piastri, who swapped his traditional orange McLaren cap for a green and gold version.

“And, for the season, obviously, I’m confident in what I can do as a driver.

“With Lando, it’s obvious that he’s incredibly talented and it’s never going to be easy going up but I’m confident in my own ability to try and prevail this year.”

While remaining respectful to his older teammate, Piastri’s fighting words were another clear sign that he’s up to the challenge of contending for the world title.

If the early season forecasts are right, the two McLaren drivers already have a car that is faster than Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, paving the way for a potential two-way shootout for the 2025 title.

Oscar Piastri is confident in his ability to compete with teammate Lando Norris. Picture: Sam Bloxham/Getty Images

While McLaren shamelessly prioritised Norris in the latter half of last season when the Englishman still had a slim mathematical chance of catching Verstappen, Piastri said it will be every man for himself this time around.

“We’re going to the season starting from zero for both of us and we’re both obviously going to be trying to fight for a world championship hopefully,” he said.

“I’m really confident in what I can do and aware that there’s things that I need to do better from last season, but I’m confident that we’ve done a lot of hard work to try and improve that and go ahead and have a good year.

“We’re starting from a clean slate and ultimately whoever’s going to be faster out on track is going to be who wins and who finishes higher, who’s not winning.

“We’re very much clear on how we go into the season and that’s racing each other and trying to hopefully fight for wins.

“So it’s all very clear, discussed, a lot of it from last season and how we managed the back end of last year and I think this year starting from zero again, we’re both going to be trying our best to win.”

Reminded by reporters at a packed media conference that no Australian driver has ever finished on the podium at a home Grand Prix that has been part of the world championship, Melbourne-born Piastri declined to make any bold predictions ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session for Sunday’s race.

“I know what you want me to say and everyone’s headline can be that but we’ll see,” the 23-year-old said.

“No one really knows what to expect. Testing went pretty well, but you don’t know where everybody sits.

“It’s going to be an interesting weekend for sure. Hopefully, we’re expected to be somewhere up the front, whether that’s right at the pointy end, we’ll wait until Saturday.”

Oscar Piastri is Australia’s hope for a first Aussie winner in Melbourne. Picture: David Caird

Piastri’s trajectory certainly suggests he could be challenging for the checkered flag.

He has raced at the Australian Grand Prix twice before, finishing eighth in 2023 when eight cars failed to make the finish after a string of crashes, then fourth last year, and he is hopeful he can improve on his previous two results at Albert Park.

“The first time around, watching the carnage unfold was a pretty good strategy that year,” he said.

“Last year was a pretty solid race but definitely some things to work on.

“Being here for the third time now obviously you know the track a lot better, you know some of the things to look out for in terms of the strategy.

“One thing you can never count on is Melbourne weather though, so whether that’s going to be relevant at all, we’ll see, but you can always take experience from every race and transfer into the next one.

“So, nothing too crazy, but I’m definitely in better stead than I was the first time I came here two years ago.”

Originally published as Aussie star driver Oscar Piastri is bullish of challenging teammate Lando Norris in 2025