Follow us on Google Discover McLaren are starting to lose a spot of momentum in the fight for the 2025 Formula 1 title and Max Verstappen is starting to apply some real pressure.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took each other out at turn one during the United States Grand Prix sprint race, after unfortunate contact with two other drivers. Their boss felt as though they hadn’t been at fault for the collision before backing down slightly from his position.
McLaren will now be aware that there is a real possibility of a title double slipping out of their grasp. The drivers’ championship fight is wide open, and it doesn’t appear that they have the fastest car on the grid anymore. Their performance has been a bit up and down.
Piastri took a ‘huge’ risk against Norris by attempting an aggressive cutback during Saturday’s race, and it ended up costing them what could be critical points. Even Toto Wolff fired a dig at Norris and believes that both drivers need to be daring in their battle.
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Photo by Wan Mikhail Roslan/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesDavid Coulthard left ‘surprised’ by ‘telling’ reaction to Lando Norris at the US GP
Martin Brundle thinks McLaren’s plan is doomed, and having two drivers of their calibre is always going to cause them problems. In the final five races of the Formula 1 season, it’s inevitable that tension within the team is going to increase.
Charles Leclerc thinks Piastri will win and that the significant advantage he built early doors will pay dividends for him. As shown by the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, anything could happen, and retirements could completely change the balance of the fight.
David Coulthard was shocked by the reaction of fans at the United States Grand Prix when asked who they preferred between the McLaren drivers. The cheers were in favour of Piastri, who has been in the sport for less time than his teammate.
“But as I went in the fanzone, there was a question thrown out to the crowd, and it was a sizeable crowd,” he said on F1TV. “Oscar or Lando?
“There was a bigger cheer for Oscar, which I was a little bit surprised by that, given that I thought Lando is a very popular driver, and he’s been in Formula 1 a bit longer. It’s quite telling, actually.”
READ MORE: James Hinchcliffe says Oscar Piastri has been subject to a ‘very un-Formula 1’ rule at McLaren
Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty ImagesIs Lando Norris better-placed to compete for the 2025 F1 title than Oscar Piastri?
Looking at the title predicament, it’s hard to assess who currently has the best chance to come out on top.
Norris has the edge in experience over his teammate and knows how brutal Verstappen can be in conflict after their encounters at the end of 2024.
He also has a lot more momentum than Piastri right now, and seems to have had the measure of him at the last few races.
For now, he must continue to focus on beating Piastri, and the rest should take care of itself. As long as he has a chance in Abu Dhabi, he will back himself to come out on top.