Lando Norris is on top of the F1 standings with four races left in the 2025 season, but Kevin Magnussen doesn’t see him as the clear favourite to win it all.
The 25-year-old Brit is chasing his first title, and until this year, he hadn’t finished higher than second. But after being an outside contender in 2024, he’s now firmly in the mix for 2025.
Norris took back the championship lead from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri with a win at the Mexico City Grand Prix. That result put him just a point ahead, 357 to 356.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is still very much in the hunt too. Both he and Norris have outperformed Piastri over the past five rounds. The four-time defending champion trails Norris by 36 points and Piastri by 35 going into round 21 of this season’s 24-race calendar.
Kevin Magnussen backs Oscar Piastri to beat Lando Norris for the 2025 F1 drivers’ title
Red Bull’s recent upgrades, including a new floor and front wing, have helped Verstappen claim three wins in the last five races. But Magnussen still sees Piastri as the favourite to take the title.
Piastri hasn’t finished ahead of either Norris or Verstappen since winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in August. Even so, Magnussen thinks he can turn things around over the final rounds in Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to become Australia’s first champion since 1980.
The only time Leclerc has come close was back in 2022 when he finished second to Verstappen by a wide margin of 146 points.
“I think Oscar Piastri will take it,” Magnussen told Blick. “And then Charles Leclerc should also win the title at some point.”
Magnussen predicts Verstappen pressure will prompt McLaren team orders
While Magnussen believes Piastri is the favourite to take the 2025 F1 drivers’ title, he also expects Verstappen’s presence to push McLaren into making tough calls over the remaining rounds. So far, McLaren have avoided declaring a No.1 driver between Norris and Piastri.
Magnussen said: “At the moment, I wouldn’t impose team orders, either. But, at a certain point, they’ll have to be careful. Max is getting closer and closer.”
Norris held the early advantage through the opening four rounds before Piastri took over between rounds five and 19. Now, only a single point separates them.
Still, there have been moments where McLaren has stepped in to maintain what they consider fair play between their drivers. In Australia, for instance, Piastri was told to hold position behind Norris while navigating lapped traffic in tricky conditions.
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More recently in Italy, Piastri was instructed to give back second place to Norris after a pit stop issue put him behind. The team had assured Norris he wouldn’t lose out by allowing Piastri to pit first as part of their strategy against Leclerc.
So far this season these stand out as clear examples of McLaren stepping in with orders despite both being in the championship fight but Verstappen’s growing threat may soon force Zak Brown and Andrea Stella into even more difficult decisions.
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