Here is how the Formula 1 drivers’ championship standings are poised heading into the final three rounds of the season.<\/p>\n
Norris leads the championship with 390 points.<\/p>\n
Piastri is on 366 points. Norris’s 24-point lead is significant when you consider a driver receives 25 points for a grand prix win.<\/p>\n
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is still in contention, 49 points adrift of Norris, and almost certainly needs to win every race this season, and then still have some luck, to secure a fifth drivers’ championship.<\/p>\n
As it stands, Norris does not need to win another race this season to become champion.<\/p>\n
If Piastri won all four remaining races, he would end the year on 449 points.<\/p>\n
If Norris finished second in all four, he would score 61 points and finish with a total of 451 points, winning the world championship by two.<\/p>\n
Despite the advantage, Norris will still need to be on top of his game to secure his maiden world title.<\/p>\n
He can lose the lead of the championship this weekend if Piastri were to win, and Norris were to finish 10th or lower.<\/p>\n
However, Piastri has not finished ahead of Norris in a race since the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.<\/p>\n
But a stellar weekend for the Australian and an off weekend for the Briton will drastically change the complexion of the championship battle.<\/p>\n
Former world champion dismisses suggestions of Norris favouritism<\/p>\n
Piastri’s slump in form \u2014 which resulted in a 34-point championship lead at the end of round 15 becoming a 24-point deficit heading into round 22 \u2014 has dominated F1 discussion.<\/p>\n
The Australian won seven of the first 15 grands prix, and was on the podium in 14 of the first 16 grands prix in 2025.<\/p>\n
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Since round 16 in Monza, when Piastri controversially gave up second place to Norris, the Australian has not been on the podium.<\/p>\n
Including the grand prix in Monza, Piastri has not finished ahead of Norris or Verstappen in any race since.<\/p>\n
It has led to many Australian fans wanting to know what has happened to their favourite driver, allowing conspiracies of sabotage to flourish.<\/p>\n
Just do not mention that to Australia’s last F1 world champion, Alan Jones.<\/p>\n
The 1980 drivers’ champion was asked about the rumoured favouritism McLaren had towards Norris when he joined ABC Sport’s Summer Grandstand, with Jones refusing to entertain such a thought.<\/p>\n
“It’s the greatest load of nonsense of all time,” Jones said.<\/p>\n
“Every single season we come across this bullsh*t. It’s either Mark Webber against Seb Vettel or somebody else \u2026 It’s absolute crap.<\/p>\n