🔗 Share this article

Were it not already a sweltering sauna in Singapore, the increasing intensity of this season's Formula One title fight would be enough to make all but the most stoic driver wilt. Withstanding the pressure may determine the deciding factor between McLaren's Norris and Piastri as the title battle intensifies with each grand prix.

This Title Fight Is Extremely Close

Starting with this weekend's race in Marina Bay, seven grands prix are left and the championship is finely poised. The Australian leads his British rival by twenty-five points. Both are free to race each other and with the Red Bull driver still a distant 69 in arrears, it is a head-to-head contest, with very little separating between them.

Drawing from Previous Winners

Formula One's most seasoned and accomplished drivers know this situation all too well. In 2007, when Hamilton narrowly missed securing the title in the final race at Interlagos in his debut season, it showed him the unique challenge of a title tilt.

“I recall the lead-up to those events at the end and the stress was there,” he stated. “That was unnecessary. Had I known then what I understand today, I would have comfortably secured that title, I think. I have learned to avoid adding pressure that’s unneeded.”

Step Into the Pressure Cooker

Step forward, the McLaren duo, to the cauldron. The upper hand so far has swung from one to the other. Norris has five victories to Oscar's seven and the duo have scarcely missed the top three in a McLaren car that has been the class of the field. The Australian has been steadier, with his British rival finding it hard to adapt to a reduced sensation for traction from the front tires. Nonetheless, they have excelled, the gap separating them often just who could perform flawlessly, across Saturday sessions and the race.

Expensive Errors for Norris

In this regard Norris has been found wanting, small errors were costly in China, more so after a poor qualifying in Bahrain and worse still when surrendering the points advantage after hitting the barriers in the qualifying session in Jeddah. Then, most critically, too aggressive in Canada he hit his teammate and went out, an enormous blow.

Piastri's Steadiness and Small Errors

Piastri, especially in only his third season in Formula One, has been more comfortable. For some time sliding off at the season opener in the rain in Melbourne was his only fault and one which was forgivable in the sudden rain. Later, the Australian was also overtaken and surpassed by an alert Verstappen at Imola, while his mistake and sanction for “unpredictable slowing” under the yellow flag at the British Grand Prix cost him a probable victory.

Latest Difficulties in Azerbaijan

However, these were small issues against a major incident at the last round in Baku. In Baku, the McLaren driver hit the wall in the qualifying session putting him ninth on the grid, only to compound it with a jump start, the car going into anti-stall mode and sending him to the rear of the pack.

Chasing places on the first lap, he misjudged the grip and ended in the wall, an uncharacteristic sequence of mistakes that he admitted he could cannot repeat in Singapore.

“Azerbaijan was quite a good reminder of how quickly things can change,” he said. “There's some lessons about how I can deal with that more effectively and lessons on taking chances I suppose is the best way to describe it. There's nothing revolutionary that needs to be altered or that I am going to change.”

Gaining from Past Examples

Both drivers are, for all their talent, still honing their abilities in F1, a path well trodden by other drivers on the grid. The early stages of Lewis's time in F1 were outstanding, but he also made his fair share of errors. Piastri could take note of Bahrain in 2008, the year the seven-time champion won his maiden championship but which was marked by additional errors as he was engaged in an intense fight with his Ferrari rival.

On the starting grid in Bahrain he had not managed to properly configure the start procedure on his McLaren and it went into anti-stall, relegating him down the grid. Soon after, trying to regain positions, he clipped the rear of Fernando Alonso's car and had to pit with a broken front wing. He finished 13th after a grand prix he described as “a catastrophe”.

Verstappen's Initial Development

Similarly the Dutch driver's early career were marked by errors as he learned his craft. After one costly crash in Monaco in 2018 then boss the Red Bull chief openly called for his driver to show more discipline.

Max, too, accepted the advice, the inconsistency almost entirely eliminated when he started claiming championships. “This has just been a learning experience,” he remarked at the time. “In my career there have been periods of character-building and this was another step. Occasionally, it is unpleasant but at times you need it.”

Closing Observations

The McLaren teammates are not up with the multiple champions yet but they are facing the identical stress and absorbing the identical insights. As the legendary driver observed, the initial championship is always the hardest. Securing this championship out is the greatest test of their professional lives and will likely be decided by the driver who can most effectively manage the pressure.