Brundle: McLaren may need to make an earlier choice in Piastri-Norris title battle

Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle believes McLaren may need to make an early decision on supporting either Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris in their potential championship challenge, as the pair continue to take points off each other.

Piastri currently holds a 16-point lead over his teammate Norris. McLaren enjoyed a dominant weekend in Miami, securing a significant lead over their rivals. Brundle highlighted that while teams like Mercedes and Red Bull are introducing upgrades, the internal competition between Piastri and Norris could potentially undermine McLaren's championship aspirations if not managed effectively.

Brundle also observed differences in how Max Verstappen races Piastri compared to Norris. "I think he knows that there's something a bit more street fighter about Oscar Piastri... Max realizes Oscar's a different deal in wheel-to-wheel combat," Brundle stated.

Piastri has notably outperformed Norris in the last five races, dating back to the Australian Grand Prix. Brundle feels that Piastri is demonstrating "absolute world championship material," citing his rapid improvement and race craft, which he perceives as slightly superior to Norris's, as key indicators of his strong potential.