Piastri title backed as F1 legend doubles down on ‘mentally weak’ Norris claim
Lando Norris got the better of his team-mate Oscar Piastri in recent rounds.
Australia’s 1980 Formula 1 World Champion Alan Jones has issued fresh criticism about Lando Norris, doubling down on the belief he is “weak” mentally.
As such, Jones believes Norris “already lost” to Piastri by opening up on his mental struggles. The truth is that the F1 2025 title battle is far from decided, as the McLaren duo battle for the crown.
Oscar Piastri v Lando Norris: Who takes the F1 2025 crown?
A gripping title battle is brewing in F1 2025. 10 rounds remain of the season, which will resume this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix. Piastri leads the Drivers’ Championship, but Norris is only nine points behind his McLaren team-mate.
Piastri had gained the upper hand, but with three wins in his last four grands prix, Norris has hauled himself right back into title contention.
It was only a few months ago that Jones first criticised Norris regarding his mental fortitude. Not only has Norris been brave enough to discuss his mental health issues in the past, the Brit is also known to be very harsh on himself, something which he has been working on.
“The first person you’ve got to beat is your team-mate,” said Jones previously on Fox Sport’s ‘The Back Page’.
“He [Piastri] can do it (become World Champion) this year, no question. At the end of the day, his team-mate is weak.
“His team-mate is quite quick, there’s no doubt about that. But mentally, I think he’s quite a weak person. He’s coming out with all this nonsense that he’s got a bit of a mental thing, he’s dwelling on some of the problems he’s had rather than the positives.
“When they start talking all that nonsense, you know you’ve got them.
Jones has doubled down on his Norris stance in a fresh interview with RTL/ntv and sport.de.
To Jones’ mind, Norris “already lost” to Piastri as soon as he spoke about a “mental problem”.
“In terms of mentality, he [Piastri] has an advantage over Lando,” said Jones.
“I think Lando is a bit weak mentally.
“Anyone who comes out and admits that they have a slight mental problem has already lost before they even start.
“You have to stay very focused, not tell anyone anything and not reveal any secrets.”
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris head-to-head in F1 2025
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
Piastri has shown tremendous growth as an F1 driver with McLaren, and now into his third season, has risen to the occasion as a title challenger. He is looking to become Australia’s first World Champion since Jones in 1980.
Jones was cautious to label Piastri the smarter of the McLaren drivers, but added: “Perhaps he is smarter in the sense that he stays on his side of the garage. He is not involved in politics, he is a man of few words.
“Perhaps he is acting more psychologically astute.”
McLaren is marching towards the F1 2025 title double. The Drivers’ Championship has evolved into a Piastri and Norris-exclusive battle, while McLaren are 299 points clear of P2 Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship.
Read next: Lando Norris issues ‘most complete driver’ verdict ahead of Piastri title battle
