Zandvoort, Aug 29: The Formula 1 title race is back and the tension is building.
Ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, the first race in four weeks, Oscar Piastri is just nine points ahead of his McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris, who won three of the last four races before the mid-season break.
Norris had the edge over Piastri in both of Friday’s practice sessions, while Max Verstappen ended up in a gravel trap.
“The intensity will naturally increase as we get closer to the end of the year, and I’m ready for that,” Piastri said Thursday.The Australian has won praise for his ability to stay cool in his first season as a true title contender, but he acknowledged that the nerves are there, even if they’re not always obvious.“I don’t believe anyone that says they don’t get nervous because I don’t think that’s possible, and I think it would be a bit weird if you weren’t nervous,” he said. “Ultimately the nerves can be good or bad and it’s how you manage it that decides that. I think for me, being calm is part of who I am, but definitely I’ve learned through the years that is how I get the most out of myself as well.”Despite the break, Norris remained F1’s in-form driver as he went fastest in both practice sessions.Norris beat Piastri by 0.292 of a second in the first session, with the Australian second and Lance Stroll third for Aston Martin. Incidents including two red flags limited the second session but Norris was still top by .087 from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, with Piastri .002 further back in third.Verstappen’s home race got off to a bad start as the four-time champion ended the first practice stuck in the gravel in bizarre circumstances, sliding off the track at the first corner after attempting a practice start. He was sixth fastest in the first session and fifth in the second. (AP)
