The battle for the drivers’ championship is between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri: who will make fewer mistakes?
The fight for the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ championship has come down to the two McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. With just ten races remaining in the season, the title is likely to go to whichever of the two makes fewer errors. Neither McLaren driver has been flawless, and with so few races left, each mistake becomes increasingly costly. This article summarizes the first part of the season and highlights the biggest mistakes made by the Woking-based team’s drivers.
Australia: both lose control in the rain
At Albert Park, as the track was drying, the McLaren MCL39 demonstrated its strength in tire preservation—a key factor that would have ensured victory if conditions had remained stable. However, the arrival of rain changed the outcome. Lando Norris ended up in the gravel first, shortly followed by his teammate. Unlike Norris, Piastri failed to recover the car and slid to the opposite side of the track, marking one of the most costly mistakes of the Australian’s season. Piastri ultimately finished ninth in his “home” race, while Norris claimed victory.
China: Norris slips up in the Sprint race
A week later, Piastri claimed victory in the Sunday race, while the Sprint race was won by Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, with the Australian Papaya driver finishing second. Norris made a mistake battling George Russell in turn 4, going wide and allowing Yuki Tsunoda, Antonio Antonelli, and Fernando Alonso to overtake him. He eventually passed Alonso to finish eighth, but it was another error that cost him valuable points.
Bahrain: Norris errors in qualifying
After Max Verstappen’s victory in Japan, Norris was eager for a strong weekend in Bahrain. During qualifying, however, he overshot turn 1, losing two tenths, and qualified sixth behind Russell, Charles Leclerc, Antonelli, and Pierre Gasly. While not the result Norris had hoped for, the weekend ended positively with a third-place finish in the race on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia: Norris loses his championship advantage
In Jeddah, Norris pushed too hard during Q3 and crashed into the barriers, forcing him to start tenth in the race. On Sunday, he gained positions thanks to a clash between Gasly and Tsunoda but struggled to overtake Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, ultimately finishing fourth behind Leclerc. Piastri won the race and took the lead in the championship with a 10-point advantage.
Miami: Norris’ victory hopes end on the first lap
Norris won the Sprint race, benefiting from a Safety Car period. In the qualifying session for Sunday’s grid, he took second behind Verstappen. During the race, Norris attempted to overtake the Dutch champion but fell to sixth. Piastri ultimately passed Verstappen on lap fourteen and went on to win the race, increasing his gap over Norris to nine seconds.
Imola: Piastri struggles at Tamburello
At Imola, Piastri started well but made a defensive move against Russell that inadvertently allowed Max Verstappen to take advantage on his right. He was later overtaken by Norris, who benefited from fresher tires after stopping under the Safety Car.
Canada: Norris collides with Piastri
At Montreal, the MCL39 showed a sudden drop in performance. Piastri qualified third, while Norris started seventh. During the race, Norris attempted an inside move on Piastri around lap 66, leading to contact. Norris immediately accepted responsibility, ending his race, while Piastri, unharmed, finished fourth behind Antonelli.
Great Britain: Norris capitalizes on Piastri’s penalty
During the British Grand Prix, Piastri received a 10-second penalty for irregular braking before the restart after a Safety Car. Norris, who had moved up to second after Verstappen went off track, took advantage of the penalty to claim victory.
Belgium: mistakes at the start
Piastri secured pole for the Sprint race but was overtaken by Verstappen at the start. Norris initially won the qualifying for Sunday’s race but was later overtaken by Piastri. The British driver attempted to overtake his teammate but made a couple of errors that cost him significant time.
Hungary: Norris recovers from a poor start to win
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris aimed to start on the inside but found his line blocked by the battle between Piastri and Leclerc. This allowed Russell and Alonso to overtake him. Norris then adapted with a one-stop strategy and tire management, which paid off, enabling him to take the victory ahead of Piastri.
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