Lando Norris vs Oscar Piastri - Race Engineer Analysis

We decided to put real-life f1 data into Track Titan to analyse exactly how drivers differ from each other. Here, we're taking a look at how Lando Norris was quicker than Oscar Piastri in 2023.

This example is from Austria qualifying, although the laps were from separate quali sessions, with Oscar not making it to Q3. Let’s analyse Turn 4, starting with the braking zone. Lando brakes very late, much later than Oscar, which allows him to carry his speed for longer into the braking zone. He then uses this extra speed and brakes for slightly longer, using this extra braking to help rotate the car into the corner. This means he is able to get on the throttle at the same point as Oscar, despite carrying more speed into the corner.

It also helps that Turn 4 allows the drivers to take a slightly wider line without compromising lap time too much. This means that by carrying that extra speed and taking the slightly wider route, Lando can keep his minimum speed around 5 km/h faster than Oscar.

Lando’s biggest advantage is his ability to learn and familiarise himself with all of the small details of the track. This also shows in the wet, where you’ll often see him taking completely different lines to everybody else, simply because he’s experimented and found a line that has more grip.

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