Has Piastri become favourite for 2025 F1 title?

Since letting his McLaren slide off the monitor on lap 44 in Melbourne and shedding numerous factors, Oscar Piastri has been virtually flawless. Two victories, in Shanghai and Bahrain, and a 3rd place in Suzuka allowed him to regain virtually every little thing he misplaced within the Method 1 season opener. Piastri now sits simply three factors behind his team-mate and the driving force who’d been tipped to win the title earlier than the season started.

Our worldwide staff of writers assesses Piastri’s probabilities of successful this 12 months’s championship.

Piastri has already put his towel down on the solar lounger

In one other life Oscar Piastri’s supervisor, Mark Webber, had a mathematical likelihood of being a world champion however his staff most popular the driving force within the different automotive. Webber was seven factors forward of team-mate Sebastian Vettel going into the 2010 season finale however Vettel was at all times Crimson Bull’s favoured son.

Webber by no means received as near the title once more and his relationship with the staff soured. The teachings from that point will probably be informing the gameplay behind the scenes.

It helps that Piastri is a cool buyer who by no means brazenly indulges in histrionics. He simply quietly will get on with the job of being glorious.

Present, don’t inform: Piastri is laying out his bid for the world championship, and for McLaren to again him to take action, by nailing each session when it counts. This season the sector is so shut that transport a few tenths to your team-mate can value you many rows on the grid quite than only a place or two.

Up to now Norris is making his job look tough, whereas Piastri makes every little thing seem seamless, even when he’s managing issues with the automotive. The Italians have a phrase for it: sprezzatura.

If it’s doable to waltz in the direction of the title with out making the proverbial track and dance about it, Oscar is on his method.

– Stuart Codling

Norris nonetheless makes too many errors

When Oscar Piastri spun within the rain in Melbourne, he misplaced to Lando Norris by way of championship factors and, we thought on the time, psychologically. In actuality that wasn’t the case in any respect. Since that mistake, the Australian has bounced again with two wins in China and Bahrain. He’s now simply three factors off the lead and has made a really sturdy begin to the season.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Picture by: Kym Illman – Getty Photos

What’s spectacular is the composure and technique with which he has responded. The place Norris’ victory in Melbourne might have marked his territory, Piastri struck again instantly. His angle can be spectacular, particularly his behaviour on and off the monitor: Oscar is a cold-blooded driver who handles issues with a poker face, with out essentially giving the impression of doing so. Chilly however scientific, he has made probably the most of his alternatives.

With a automotive just like the MCL39, Piastri is clearly a title contender. And what he has in his favour is the room for enchancment, which is a priori better than that of Norris, who has been round for a very long time however nonetheless makes too many small errors, as he did final Sunday in Bahrain.

– Basile Davoine

There’s extra to come back from Piastri

Oscar Piastri is trying so good this season that Lando Norris have to be nervous about what his youthful and hungry team-mate is able to in a automotive that clearly does not go well with the Briton for the time being. And, whereas it is true that the season continues to be in its early levels, it is vital to do not forget that the primary few races of a championship may be essential by way of inside staff battles.

Take a look at what occurred the final time McLaren gained three of the primary 4 grands prix, in 1998. David Coulthard had the higher hand over Mika Hakkinen the 12 months earlier than, however the Flying Finn beat his team-mate handily because the staff began the brand new season because the frontrunners and by no means regarded again.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos

After all, that is simply an instance. Piastri and Norris’ conditions are completely different to these of the aforementioned F1 legends, however do not forget that that is solely the Aussie’s third 12 months within the collection and he’ll solely get higher because the season progresses.

We will already see that by evaluating 2024 and 2025. Final 12 months, Piastri misplaced 24-6 to Norris in head-to-head qualifying, together with final 12 months’s sprints. Curiously, these losses included all 4 circuits visited by F1 to this point in 2025, however Piastri now leads the head-to-head duels 3-2, with giant margins – four-tenths in dash qualifying in China and Saturday in Bahrain – whereas his two losses have been inside a tenth.

Weekends like Sakhir will solely increase Piastri’s confidence and I am trying ahead to seeing what he can do subsequent in Saudi Arabia.

– Federico Faturos

A few dangerous weekends doesn’t suggest Norris is hopeless

You are solely nearly as good as your final race in Method 1 – and proper now, straight after the Bahrain Grand Prix, there are numerous lingering questions on Lando Norris’s title ambitions. He is making errors – and he is fast to confess it. However, whereas it is easy to say he is underperforming for the time being, you need to bear in mind one factor. Regardless of all of the errors, he is nonetheless the one man who’s completed all of the races (excluding the dash in China) within the high three. So, even when he makes errors, he retains scoring factors. He is had dangerous weekends, it is true. However he nonetheless managed to complete second or third. And that is not too dangerous after a foul weekend.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Picture by: Clive Rose / Getty Photos

Piastri seems very sturdy and, after a efficiency like he had in Bahrain, it’s extremely tough to seek out any weaknesses. However there will probably be tough weekends for him as effectively. And, whereas Norris has been on the rostrum 4 occasions this 12 months, Piastri’s mistake in Melbourne – with all of the reductions for difficult situations – was dearer. He is not going to begin dominating impulsively. There will probably be many weekends on which he will not have the ability to match Norris’ tempo.

What the Australian has proven prior to now three races is that it will not be straightforward for Norris this 12 months. And it is trying increasingly doubtless that Oscar will probably be his greatest risk in 2025. However that does not change the truth that it is nonetheless Norris who has extra expertise – and he is confirmed that he can be taught and enhance.

– Oleg Karpov

Fortunes can shift rapidly within the risky world of Method 1: one week you are celebrated and praised, the following you are staring on the gearbox of a Haas or Alpine for half the race. As sturdy as Oscar Piastri’s efficiency in Bahrain was, one factor have to be remembered: by no means underestimate Max Verstappen. We noticed why only a week and a half in the past in Suzuka. Whereas everybody anticipated McLaren to dominate, the reigning world champion squeezed each final drop – after which some extra – out of his RB21 to grab pole place. Everyone knows how the Sunday performed out.

After all, Bahrain was tough. However Verstappen did what he does higher than anybody else: he maximised the end result. Even when the tempo is not there, he extracts every little thing from his RB21. Sixth place was the very best he might do in Bahrain and, with that, he managed to restrict the harm fairly effectively. With out the security automotive, issues might have turned out far worse. And if there’s one driver among the many high groups who is aware of methods to win a championship, it’s Verstappen. His primary rival on paper (learn: Lando Norris) hardly seems faultless or solely dependable both.

Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing

Picture by: Mark Thompson – Getty Photos

One factor is definite: Crimson Bull will enhance over the approaching months. It could’t actually get a lot worse. So long as the competitors maintain taking factors off one another and Verstappen continues doing what must be finished, something stays doable. Particularly when the flexi-wing ban kicks in later in Barcelona – the aggressive order might shift once more. That will play into Crimson Bull’s palms.

Final 12 months, McLaren proved you’ll be able to nonetheless struggle for prizes after a poor begin to the season. The drivers’ title wasn’t inside attain as a result of Norris missed too many alternatives. If there’s one factor we all know, it’s that Verstappen will seize each likelihood that comes his method. That’s the place he makes the distinction. And precisely why you must by no means rely him out.

– Casper Bekking