Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is backing Lando Norris to win the world title ahead of Australia’s Oscar Piastri but says the McLaren team-mates have moved past old-style Formula One driver rivalries.
Norris leads Piastri by just three points going into Sunday’s fifth round of the season in Saudi Arabia after the Australian sped to his second victory of the season in Bahrain last weekend.
But Vettel doubted the rivalry between Norris and Piastri, who is managed by the German’s old teammate and rival Mark Webber, would have the same heat as his first title battle of 2010.
“I would still put Lando as an indirect favourite, but time will tell,” he said.
“Naturally people always look for entertainment, which is fine and it’s part of the sport, but I don’t see those two having a really intense and rough partnership.
“I think they’ll get along and I think (team boss) Andrea (Stella) also is in a position to manage them well.
“I think the rivalries nowadays are different. I think we had respect and I think this generation has respect for each other.
“But I think they have progressed and they manage it better than us to differentiate what’s happening on track and what’s happening off track.”
Vettel also praised Norris as a “real role model” and said the British driver’s open self-criticism was a strength rather than weakness.
Norris blamed himself rather than the team after his scrappy Bahrain weekend.
He said he was “clueless” in qualifying, had made too many mistakes in the race – starting with a false start from sixth and finishing third – and struggled to feel comfortable with the car.
The old way of thinking in Formula One was to hide such vulnerability, lest rivals use it as a psychological weapon, but Vettel, who retired in 2022, said Norris reflected a new attitude.
“I think it’s a positive development because we are normal people,” said the German, speaking from Saudi Arabia before a karting event he organises to help young women into motorsport.
“We do have normal problems just like everybody else. Heroism is fine but it’s also part of the heroism to just talk about your problems and your weakness. I think that’s a great development to see and to witness and, you know, real role models.”
Vettel recalled as a kid being told not to share any weakness, not to cry, and Norris was showing it was OK to be more open.
“I don’t think it’s a sign of weakness. It might be criticised by some people, but if you look at the broader picture, I think it’s just progress,” he said.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/motorsport/piastri-and-norris-will-control-their-rivalry-vettel-c-18387378
