Oscar Piastri has finally addressed the dynamic at behind closed doors with Lando Norris following the conclusion of the 2025 F1 season.
Max Verstappen secured his eighth victory of the season in Abu Dhabi, but it wasn't enough to clinch the driver's title after Lando Norris' third place finish saw him become the 11th British F1 champion.
Piastri finished in second after overtaking Norris on lap one, but the Australian needed both Verstappen and Norris to suffer issues to secure the title.
Following the race, McLaren boss Zak Brown came under fire for his post-race radio to Piastri, and it's not the first time the papaya have been criticised for their treatment of the 24-year-old.
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Piastri, who led the championship for the majority of the year, previously admitted the title defining team orders from Monza had a negative impact on his mental state.
Piastri admits Norris tensions following Abu Dhabi
Speaking after the race, Piastri was quizzed on his relationship with the new world champion, and finally confessed the issues the duo have faced this year following 'papaya rules'.
"Obviously, it's not easy fighting for the Constructors' Championship and the Drivers' Championship with two very evenly matched drivers," Piastri began.
"Ultimately, that's a problem we knew we were going to have.
“At the end of the day, there are a lot of good things that come from that, there are difficult moments and tension at times, but I think both Lando and I have become better drivers from pushing each other to the limit," he added.
The Australian also admitted the relationship has been uncomfortable for the entire team, but insisted he believes McLaren's approach was the correct one.
“Sometimes that's been uncomfortable for everyone, but ultimately, it's been a good thing," he reiterated.
"We've obviously had a lot of discussions throughout the year, and I'm sure we'll have discussions in the off-season about anything we want to do slightly differently for next year.
“At the end of the day, they gave us both as good a chance as the team could have to fairly fight for a world championship, and that's all you can ask for,” Piastri concluded.
Topics: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, McLaren, Formula 1
Tom Jenkins