Lando Norris has conceded that an on-track clash with F1 title riva🔴l and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri is “inevitable”.

After nine rounds in F1 2025, just 10 points separate the McLaren duo at the topꦡ of the drivers’ championship.

Piastri has 🧜won five of the opening nine races, meaning the momentum is 💧firmly on his side.

Howeve🔥🧔r, Norris is still within touching distance of his teammate despite a below-par start to the year.

Norris’ c💯ampaign has been littered with errors, particularly in q♊ualifying.

Lately, Norris has become more comfortable with the MꦡCL39, even if he was outpaced 𒁏by Piastri in Barcelona last time.

The pair have yet to go head-to-head on track, beside𓄧s a brief tussle at Imola, but Norris was on considerably better tyres.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, Norris adm👍itted that an incident with Piastri will likely happen at some point 🤡as they fight for the title.

“We’ve never said we’re goinꦓg to avoid everything,” Norris said.

“I think we’ve actually been quite open in saying at some point something is probably going to🎐 happen. We just have to be ready for that. Both Oscar and myself know we’re coꦉmpetitive and want to beat each other.

“The main thing is that we stay strong together as a team but everything is in the opeཧn, everything is obvious and known between us. We boꦍth want to win. We both want to beat each other but at the end of the day there can only be one person whoever performs the best over the course of the year.

“It’s not an iꩲf, it’s a when and we will see when that comes. Of course, we will try and avoid everything as much as possible. It’s inevitable that it happens in racing.”

Norris acknowledges Piastri improvement

Piastri has made a remarkable improvement over thꦬe winter break.

Norris won🌠 the qualifying hea☂d-to-head against Piastri 20-4.

After just nine races in 2025, Piastri hasꦕ already out-qualified Norris five times - more than he did in the whole of la♈st year.

Norris is unsurprised to see ✅Piastri ta🎶ke a step forward.

“He’s going to have improved in ꦡmost areas,🤡” Norris added. “He’s in his third season of F1 and I remember in my third season you just come into the year a little bit more confident and with a bit more knowledge, and a more complete driver. That’s what he’s done. He’s performing well.

“He’s driving incredibly well at a very, very high level. He deserves everything he’s doing at the 🎉minute. It’s a good, fun rivalry between us.”