Danner warns McLaren rivalry could erupt

McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris appear locked in their own fight for the 2025 drivers’ title as Formula 1 resumes after the summer shutdown.

Both men have played down comparisons to past teammate clashes, but Christian Danner believes tension is inevitable.

“Yes, that was foreseeable, because they’ve built a car that performs wonderfully on all types of tracks and in all weather conditions,” the German told Kolner Express. “And when things aren’t quite perfect, Norris and Piastri still finish on the podium. What surprises me, though, is that Mercedes went completely in the wrong direction.”

When asked if the situation resembled Hamilton versus Rosberg, Danner agreed: “Yes, absolutely. The pressure is rising. Everyone’s still acting relaxed, as there are still a lot of races to go, but if things continue like this, things will blow up.

“There was already a clash between the two in Montreal. When the world championship title is at stake, the fun is over.”

Norris ran into the back of Piastri in Canada, with Rosberg later giving advice. Danner thinks Norris has since regrouped, but insists the pressure is only growing.

“That applies to the driver as much as it does to the team,” he said. “You have to get used to winning. And having the composure to then translate that winning into the championship is the next step.

“I can only see progress at the moment, with the team, with Norris, but also with Piastri. They’re all getting better, which is why I say: the pressure is rising.”

Danner also commented on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari form, saying: “As long as Leclerc can secure pole position and more or less reliably make it onto the podium, and Hamilton can’t quite get there, it’s Hamilton who’s likely to struggle with the system.

“If you’ve driven for English racing teams all your life and are used to the way they work, then you naturally try to get that at Ferrari too. But that’s not working for Hamilton, nobody at Maranello cares.

“That’s why I think the talk in the paddock about him throwing in the towel is definitely something that could happen. We’ll see how it develops.”