Piastri not expecting Silverstone fight to just be with Norris as he predicts ‘interesting weekend’

Oscar Piastri has predicted a potential multi-team battle at the British Grand Prix, with the Australian suggesting that it will not just be a fight between himself and McLaren team mate Lando Norris.

A race-long scrap played out between the pair last time out in Austria, in which Norris fended off the challenge from Piastri to claim his third win of the season. Piastri, however, still leads the championship standings by a margin of 15 points.

When asked if he was ready for another battle with Norris this weekend at his team mate’s home track, Piastri smiled: “Let’s wait and see. I think it’s going to be an interesting weekend – Silverstone always is. The weather’s always a factor and it looks like it will be again this weekend.

“Let’s wait and see, I don’t think it will just be two McLarens this time. I think Mercedes will probably be quick, Red Bull honestly you never really know but they’ve been quick here in the past, Ferrari as well looked to be a little bit stronger in Austria, so let’s see.

“It’s a track I always enjoy, and I’m expecting it to be a good fight with whoever it is.”

A sequence has emerged during the campaign so far in which, whenever Norris has won a race, Piastri has proven victorious at the following Grand Prix.

In terms of whether that might be on his mind during the weekend ahead, the 24-year-old answered: “I have found the same pattern as you, but there’s nothing conscious about it. I think it’s just been coincidence.

“I always go into every weekend, just trying to do the best that I can. I felt like maybe in China there was a bit of extra motivation but more because of how painful Melbourne was, more than anything else.

“I just go into every weekend trying to do my best, go in with the best state of mind that I can and I think I’m always learning things about myself, about how I need the car as well, and [I’m] learning lessons all the time.”

And given the psychological element at play in the championship fight, Piastri was also quizzed on how important it would be to beat Norris at the Briton’s home track.

“I don’t really think so,” the seven-time race winner said. “Every driver wants to win their home race, but at the end of the day it’s only worth the same amount of points as everywhere else. Monaco is kind of a similar feeling but, yes, would I love to win this weekend? Of course.

“So let’s see what happens. It’s a track I enjoy, a track I’ve had good success at in the past, so hopefully can be a good weekend.”