Parc Ferme: A tale of two drivers and a fat lady warming up to sing

The 2025 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship is already done and dusted. The MCL39 is the class of the field on average by around 0.5 to 0.8 seconds per lap. This gap may not always seem apparent in qualifying, but I suspect at some tracks, where they feel they have a big advantage, Norris and Piastri can set their cars up more for the race.

Others, such as Red Bull and Ferrari, do not have that luxury. Hence, we see a closer qualifying time that results in an initial strong but ultimately unsustainable pace. When you see the two drivers being interviewed, it’s easy to see the difference between them.

You can’t help but be charmed by Lando. He has a natural presence, is more open than most, and is never short of a cheeky grin or quip.

His whole demeanour insists that you warm to him. Oscar, however, does not possess anything close to that level of “rizz”. He’s reserved, considered, and often seems emotionally flat. Fortunately, he does have a dry wit that is often put to good use.

From a marketing perspective, and F1 is very much about marketing these days, Lando is a better World Champion fit for McLaren and their sponsors. This is starting to become apparent from the team’s communication language, which appears to differ between a Lando and an Oscar win.

Fortunately for Piastri, this is not a thing for him, and whatever Zak’s preferences are, we can expect the team principal to continue to honour his equitable treatment of both drivers.

Due to the strength of McLaren’s driver lineup, both pilots find themselves in a battle of fine margins for the Drivers’ Championship. The season to date has been a roller-coaster ride for both of them, with external circumstances shifting the balance more than individual failings.

We’ve had fifteen races this season, and they have only made one big howler each: Piastri in Australia and Lando in Canada. However, Norris’s DNF in Zandvoort has handed Oscar a thirty-four-point advantage, a big swing in the Australian’s favour.

There are still nine races left for his teammate to claw back points, but climbing up the Championship table is more difficult than sliding down it. To be fair, Lando has already stepped up. In the last two Grands Prix, he’s delivered a level of consistency throughout both races to match Oscar.

However, Piastri still has the edge in a couple of key areas, one of them being that he “switches on” faster. This is apparent at the race start and when leading at a Safety Car restart. Piastri repeatedly demonstrates he can drive on the limit immediately, whereas Norris needs some time to wind it up. Let’s see what happens in Monza.