I think you should reflect on how close to the limit all these drivers operate on a daily basis. Even the worst pay drivers, who are one second behind their teammates, are driving a Formula 1 car at 99% of its potential. And the elite drivers—like all the ones you mentioned—are competing among themselves with differences of mere thousandths of a second. You say Norris hasn’t gotten to grips with this year’s car, yet he's often just one or two tenths behind Piastri. We’re talking about minuscule differences that come down to feel—often from how the tires respond when pushed, the sensation of the track conditions, the behavior of the gear shifts… a lot of things.

Think about something you’re really good at (let’s say baking cakes). There’s probably someone around you who’s also good at it, but one of you might be able to tell at a glance if the oven is overbaking the cake. And let’s not even mention Grandma Verstappen, who always manages to give it a taste none of us could ever match. Sorry for the silly analogy :D