After several seasons where Norris has been the de facto team leader at McLaren, the Briton has faced an increasingly tough challenge this season from rookie Piastri.
And the Australian’s potential was made clear in Qatar when he took pole and the victory in the sprint race before finishing runner-up in the grand prix itself.
Norris was left kicking himself afterwards over what happened in Qatar, as he blamed his own errors for missing out on the clear opportunity to do better.
But despite Norris being so publicly frustrated with himself over his weekend’s performance, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has said he is not concerned about the situation unsettling his driver.
“Lando knows himself that Oscar is a unique talent - you don't see these kinds of talents in Formula 1 every day,” said Stella, when asked by Autosport about the dynamics between the two drivers.
“He's an absolute reference, even if he's a rookie, and at times Lando knows that he will set the bar very high.
“But if you are a champion like Lando is, you will have to take that from a positive point of view because he gives you so much information to keep improving.
Source: Autosport