Like Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, McLaren teammates were separated by three points in 2010. They blew both championships

Australian Oscar Piastri and McLaren teammate Lando Norris are in rare air atop the Formula 1 drivers' standings.

Eight races into the F1 season, McLaren leads the constructors' championship from Mercedes by 172 points, while Piastri heads the drivers' standings with a three-point advantage over Norris.

With four-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen trailing in third position, McLaren is in pole position to claim their first drivers' crown since Lewis Hamilton's maiden title in 2008.

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The exact situation of teammates being separated by three points or less through eight races has only happened three times in the sport's history, including with Piastri and Norris this year.

Remarkably, the last time this plot line was in play, it centred around McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Hamilton during the 2010 season.

A one-time world champion at the time, Hamilton topped the drivers' standings with 109 points, while Button trailed in second place with 106 after eight grands prix.

But while McLaren was in a strong position early on, things took a turn with both Hamilton and Button tumbling down the leaderboard to finish the season in fourth (240 points) and fifth place (214 points).

The pair were ultimately leap-frogged by rivals Sebastian Vettel (256), Fernando Alonso (252) and Australian Mark Webber (242).

To make matters worse, despite holding a narrow lead in the constructors' championship over Red Bull through eight races, McLaren's driver issues during certain race weekends also saw Red Bull pull ahead in that battle.

While Red Bull had shown flashes of brilliance to start the season, a stronger and more consistent latter half saw the team secure their first constructors' title with 498 points.

McLaren was the runner-up with 454.

So, where did things go horribly wrong, and what lessons can Piastri, Norris and McLaren take from their predecessors?

F1 is an arms race — teams are constantly working to out-develop and out-innovate each other with superior technological advancements on their cars.

While you can roll up to pre-season testing in February with the most competitive car, you may not be the fastest on-track on any given race weekend.

Teams do not just build a car at the start of the year and stick with it the whole way through, as this would stifle any progress.

Instead, continuous and effective car development with upgrades delivered throughout the season is crucial.

Teams that stop innovating or bring upgrades that do not deliver as expected stand to be caught and passed.

There is a saying in F1: If you're not going forward, you're going backward. McLaren must ensure their development pipeline remains robust and their upgrades consistently deliver performance gains.

In 2010, Red Bull's innovative blown diffuser gave its cars a significant advantage, particularly in qualifying.

McLaren could not match their pace, especially in the second half of the season. But this did cause lights and sirens until it was too late.

This season, McLaren appears to be on top of their game, especially with aerodynamic improvements and superior tyre management.

While both Piastri and Norris are naturally talented drivers, small errors, reliability issues and missed opportunities for points can prove costly in a tight championship battle.

Hamilton and Button were also strong in 2010, but Hamilton's four DNFs in Spain, Hungary, Monza and Singapore wore a hefty price tag.

Every point for a top-10 finishing position matters, and consistent podium performances for Piastri and Norris are essential.

To get a foot on the podium, the best teams and drivers adapt to varying track conditions, tyre characteristics, and unforeseen challenges.

To build on their strong start to the season, McLaren needs to ensure their cars perform well across a range of circuits and that their strategy calls stack up.

McLaren's one-two finish at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month showcased their car's exceptional tyre temperature management in hot conditions and both Piastri and Norris' skill in using this to their advantage.

Despite the tight scrap between Hamilton and Button, McLaren maintained a relatively harmonious team environment while tension was running high.

To be triumphant, Piastri, Norris and McLaren need to maintain a positive dynamic that balances healthy competition and partnership.

McLaren boss Zak Brown has already said that the team's preference this year will be to defend its constructors' title, and that it will not show favouritism in the hope that individual success for both its drivers lifts the team skyward.

With group success to come before individual results, the duo should concentrate on beating their rivals as a team rather than disadvantaging each other as individuals.

In 2010, the turning point for Red Bull came around mid-season but ramped up following the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Red Bull driver Webber won the race at the Hungaroring, which marked the team's third consecutive first-place finish.

Webber's teammate Vettel was third, with Button finishing eighth.

Hamilton retired from the race in what turned out to be a critical blow to his championship hopes and McLaren's lead in the constructors' standings.

From there, Red Bull began to consistently convert their qualifying pace into strong race results, with Vettel winning four of the last six races, the final blow to McLaren.

So, for Piastri, Norris and McLaren, one takeaway is clear: a strong start is just that — a start.

The championship is won and lost over the entire season — that's 24 races in 2025 — and sustained performance and development are necessary to stay ahead of the pack and convert their early dominance into a championship title or two.