Patrese: Norris-Piastri won't get to Senna-Prost levels of nasty

After 14 rounds, Piastri leads Norris by nine points with the pair combining for 11 wins. Norris opened the campaign with victory in Australia before Piastri responded in China, Bahrain, and Spain. Meanwhile, McLaren are cruising to a second Formula 1 Constructors' world title in a row.

Their rivalry reached a flashpoint with contact in Canada, but Norris bounced back with wins in Austria, Great Britain, and Hungary to close the gap. With ten rounds remaining, starting at Zandvoort, the fight is finely balanced.

Patrese reckons: “The McLaren drivers will race, and that is a good thing because at least we have an interest in seeing how the championship goes. We have this duel between the two, and it's interesting. It is difficult to say, Piastri or Norris, but at least the fact that they don't have a position in their team means they will have a duel, which will make the second part of the championship really interesting.”

The Italian veteran noted that the Australian appears mentally stronger, but the Briton has proved hard to beat when at his best: “Piastri sometimes looks a little bit stronger in the mind than Lando. But Lando proved that when he's on his day, he can be unbeatable. It will be interesting to see who is going to be the world champion."

Patrese believes the 2025 F1 title will only be decided in Abu Dhabi: “We will know at the end of the last race. Lando, at the beginning of the season, looked a little bit weaker, but now he's getting stronger. He has won three of the last four races. From my point of view, I wish he could be a little bit happier generally, because he always looks sad.

"Even when he wins, he has problems smiling. He should enjoy what he does more. Sometimes it looks like he is not convinced of his potential. I think he must be more convinced that he can be very strong and a world champion," explained Patrese.

Comparisons with the toxic McLaren teammate feud between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in the late eighties and early nineties were dismissed by Patrese: “We have seen it before with Senna-Prost. I cannot see a thing like this happening between the young drivers of today. If you do a thing like this now, you will face a lot of criticism and also penalties under the rules.

"In my day, everything was more open. Sometimes things like this could happen. And also, the penalties were not there. What could happen today to Senna if a thing like that happened, on the first corner, you deliberately push out another driver?”

Patrese expects the Norris-Piastri rivalry to be hard-fought but respectful, with the Championship poised for one of the most compelling conclusions in recent memory. More so, if indeed it is decided at Round 24, in Abu Dhabi later this year, as the 71-year-old Italian racing veteran predicts.