Oscar Piastri has seen a major shift in the 2025 F1 title race, as Lando Norris turned what was once a 34-point gap into a 24-point lead over the last six rounds.
Norris also turned around a 22-point gap after the first 18 races into a 24-point advantage following round 21 in Brazil. It’s the largest lead he’s had all year, and it comes after his biggest deficit of the season.
Norris put together a flawless performance at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, turning a one-point edge into that same 24-point cushion. He took wins in both the Sprint and main race from pole position, while Piastri crashed in the Sprint and finished fifth in the main event.
Why Norris feels more at ease than Piastri in this year’s F1 Title race
Piastri, on the other hand, has been stuck outside the top four in each of the last three races, while Norris followed up a runner-up finish at the United States GP with back-to-back wins in Mexico and Brazil. The Australian hasn’t seen a podium since the Italian GP five rounds ago.
DTM star Thomas Preining believes Norris is benefiting from his 2024 title battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while Piastri is experiencing his first serious championship challenge.
“There’s definitely a difference in experience,” Preining told Servus TV. “Because Norris, even though it was a long-distance duel with Max last year, has already fought for the championship.”
“He also has a few more years of Formula 1 experience and is older. Therefore, he finds certain situations easier.”
Norris became a serious title challenger for the first time last season after McLaren’s rapid development turned their car into one of the grid’s best. Verstappen still took that title by 63 points after leading by as much as 69 points through 10 rounds of what would end up being a 24-round calendar.
| ROUND | CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER | MARGIN AT MCLAREN |
| Australian GP | Norris (25 points) | 23 points over Piastri |
| Chinese GP | Norris (44 points) | 10 points over Piastri |
| Japanese GP | Norris (62 points) | 13 points over Piastri |
| Bahrain GP | Norris (77 points) | 3 points over Piastri |
| Saudi Arabian GP | Piastri (99 points) | 10 points over Norris |
| Miami GP | Piastri (131 points) | 16 points over Norris |
| Emilia Romagna GP | Piastri (146 points) | 13 points over Norris |
| Monaco GP | Piastri (161 points) | 3 points over Norris |
| Spanish GP | Piastri (186 points) | 10 points over Norris |
| Canadian GP | Piastri (198 points) | 22 points over Norris |
| Austrian GP | Piastri (216 points) | 15 points over Norris |
| British GP | Piastri (234 points) | 8 points over Norris |
| Belgian GP | Piastri (266 points) | 16 points over Norris |
| Hungarian GP | Piastri (284 points) | 9 points over Norris |
| Dutch GP | Piastri (309 points) | 34 points over Norris |
| Italian GP | Piastri (324 points) | 31 points over Norris |
| Azerbaijan GP | Piastri (324 points) | 25 points over Norris |
| Singapore GP | Piastri (336 points) | 22 points over Norris |
| United States GP | Piastri (346 points) | 14 points over Norris |
| Mexico City GP | Norris (357 points) | 1 point over Piastri |
| Sao Paulo GP | Norris (390 points) | 24 points over Piastri |
Oscar Piastri’s 2025 F1 title campaign faltered after Monza team orders
Piastri has hit his longest podium drought since the opening five races of the 2024 season. The turning point seems to be when McLaren instructed him to let Norris reclaim P2 during the Italian Grand Prix, despite earlier assurances that Norris wouldn’t be undercut.
His struggles continued in Baku, where he crashed out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after already hitting trouble in qualifying and jumping the start. Tensions at McLaren grew as well, with Norris colliding into him in Singapore and Piastri returning the favour during the COTA Sprint.
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More damage came in Brazil when Piastri crashed out of the Sao Paulo Sprint, adding further strain on McLaren’s mechanics. His fall from form has been unexpected, especially after starting strong with seven wins and 14 podiums over the first 16 Grands Prix.
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