F1 2026: Lando Norris beware! Oscar Piastri is out for 'revenge'

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — Photo: © IMAGO

McLaren

Lando Norris beware! Oscar Piastri is out for F1 'revenge'

McLaren's driver duo could both be vying for the 2026 title

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 3 February 2026 21:56

Reigning F1 champion Lando Norris will need to watch out for title rival and team-mate Oscar Piastri, as the McLaren star has been tipped to 'come back with a vengeance' in 2026.

Norris clinched his first F1 championship title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, but Piastri had to settle for third place in the drivers' standings after a late surge in form for Max Verstappen.

Having led the standings for the majority of the 2025 championship, it is a pretty safe assumption to say that Piastri likely felt robbed, especially given the number of controversial team orders he was involved in across the campaign.

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Last season, McLaren took a lot of heat for their infamous 'papaya rules', which Piastri fans in particular felt would often benefit Norris and not their Aussie favourite.

But the competitive order is likely to be reset in 2026 thanks to the sport's new regulations, and now is as good a time as any for Piastri to remind McLaren that he should still be treated equally in the fight.

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Piastri's McLaren form to be shaped by 'painful' 2025 experience

Piastri and Norris finished the 2025 campaign with seven grand prix wins each, further proving the point that the papaya duo should be treated equally.

Ahead of the first round of the 2026 season on Piastri's home turf, F1 icon and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle certainly seems to be buying into the idea that the 24-year-old will be eager to come back with a bang after his P3 championship finish in 2025.

In and episode of last week's Sky F1 testing roundup, Brundle was asked if he thinks Piastri will be able to come back to take his maiden championship after losing to Norris last year.

In response, Brundle said: "Yeah, I think he’ll come back with a vengeance, to be honest.

"It was partly painful, partly brilliant for him last year. He learned a lot. I think that it’s openly accepted that on the really low-grip circuits, he’s not getting the best out of the car and out of the tyre, so he knows he’s got to fix that.

“"But some of the victories he’s had were so dominant, so impressive. I think he’ll take a lot from that. I’m sure it was painful in the end for him and I think that will be a driver. "We’ve observed him. He’s an incredibly bright lad and he’s clearly competitive. He’s a worker. I think he’ll come back having made a big step forward."

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

Norris and Piastri will both be back in action when the 2026 season starts in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. The first race of the year takes place on March 8 at 3pm local time (AEDT), 4am GMT, and 11pm ET. The first round of pre-season tests in Bahrain will kick off before then on February 11 until 13, and the second round continues from February 18 until February 20.

F1 McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Martin Brundle Sky Sports F1