Oscar Piastri has been the better driver over Lando Norris on \u201call stats and viewing\u201d according to Jolyon Palmer who said the Australian\u2019s lead could have been as big as 61 points.<\/p>\n
Just nine separate the McLaren<\/a> duo but Piastri<\/a> has been on the wrong end of some moments of fortune, leading Palmer to believe the title race is closer than it should be.<\/p>\n Oscar Piastri told title lead could be 61 points in Lando Norris battle<\/p>\n Norris<\/a> went into the season having comfortably beaten his team-mate in 2024 and although the Briton started stronger, Piastri soon grew into the campaign and a hat-trick wins of moved him into the position of title favourite.<\/p>\n But the driver, only in his third F1 season, has not been without his moments of poor fortune. The most recent came on the last race before the summer break where Piastri opted for a two-stop while Norris\u2019 one-stop from P3 proved to be the winning formula.<\/p>\n Moments like that, amongst others, have Palmer believing Piastri\u2019s lead should be much bigger.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I\u2019ve been thinking is Piastri has been the better driver,\u201d he said on F1 Nation<\/a>. \u201cAnd we\u2019re talking about the fine margins, nine points, Lando winning three of the last four.<\/p>\n \u201cBut on pretty much all stats and viewing, Piastri has been the better driver so far. And I look through and I think that championship lead that\u2019s nine points, could easily be 61 points, but largely for a bit of luck.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019m thinking there\u2019s 16 points lost in Melbourne. Both McLarens go skittling off through the gravel, Oscar\u2019s is slightly more than Lando\u2019s and it cost Oscar on the day, 16 points.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m thinking Silverstone. Tough decision that I\u2019ve not seen penalised since or before. And it cost Oscar the win.<\/p>\n More on McLaren from PlanetF1<\/p>\n Why Oscar Piastri is clear favourite for the F1 2025 title explained by Steiner<\/a><\/p>\n