NEW YORK – Lando Norris says the new Formula 1 movie contains some reminders of his own rivalry with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri after their collision at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Speaking Monday at the Times Square premiere of “F1,” starring Brad Pitt, Norris said his rivalry with Piastri remains friendly, even if they sometimes run into “roadblocks and chicanes.”
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“You always want to be the top dog and you always want to be on top — of everyone, not just your teammate. You want to be on top of the grid, right?" Norris said. "The interesting part, and I think the thing that the F1 movie gets into a little bit more, is how teammates have to be teammates but also how they want to beat one another, and how do you get that balance right? Because if it’s too much one way, it’s not good. If it’s too much the other way, it’s not good. It’s a difficult balance, but that’s part of the sport.”
Roadblocks in the relationship
Norris apologized immediately for colliding with Piastri in Sunday's race as he tried to overtake. The contact caused Norris to hit the wall, ending his race. Piastri was able to finish fourth and extend his standings lead over Norris to 22 points ahead of next week's Austrian Grand Prix.
“We’ve always known we want to beat each other, but I think one thing we’ve done very well is work together as a team," Norris said. "Of course there’s always going to be some little roadblocks and chicanes and things to navigate through, but in the end of the day, I think, as long as we pull through the other day together, that’s the most important.”
Russell hopes for more Mercedes wins
George Russell's victory in Canada on Sunday made him the only driver other than Norris, Piastri and defending champion Max Verstappen to get a win this season.
He's hoping it's the springboard to more success for him and the Mercedes team.
“The season’s going well, it could always be better. Of course the last race was great, winning in Canada, but we’re striving for more. We want to be in that championship fight," Russell said, adding that now he's looking for “more of the same.”
"I think we’re understanding the car more and more, I’m understanding myself further. We want to get more wins on the board.”
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing