Villeneuve: Qatar will push Verstappen, Norris and Piastri to the limit
F1 NewsFriday, 28 November 2025 at 10:51
Jacques Villeneuve believes the 2025 Formula 1 title fight will tighten even further in Qatar, insisting Oscar Piastri is still a genuine contender as McLaren face a contract-driven dilemma with two weekends left in the season.
With Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren duo Lando Norris and Piastri all capable of winning, Villeneuve said the outcome could just as easily be a victory as a P6 finish for any of them on an average weekend.
The 1997 Formula 1 World Champion said Piastri has quietly rebuilt form and should not be discounted: “Is it all over for Piastri? Of course not. He has had his dip, but he has been climbing back up. He has been going quicker. He was not on Norris's pace, but he was not that far off. If they qualify first and second and he is first in turn one, he has the speed to keep his teammate behind.”
He warned that Norris holds the championship advantage but will still have Verstappen to manage: “Norris only needs to finish second. That means you would need to have Verstappen behind. And keeping him at bay is harder. It will be very interesting to see how McLaren play the pit stops and the strategies now.”
McLaren’s contractual bind could decide how aggressively they race
Villeneuve said McLaren’s driver contracts remain a decisive factor in how the next two races will unfold: “We have to keep in mind that teams and drivers have contracts that protect the teams but also protect the drivers. When there is parity in drivers contractually, it means that a driver cannot be forced into helping his teammate until he mathematically can not win the championship.”
He reminded that this was evident last year: “We saw it last year. Piastri did not help Norris. That is just the way it is. It is in their contract. Or it is obviously in their contract, even if we have not seen them, we can guess it is. That is what puts McLaren a bit in a bind.”
Villeneuve expects the title to go all the way: “We will definitely see this go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi. There are three drivers in it. Even if Norris has a very good weekend in Qatar, there is a chance he might be beaten by at least one of the other two. So we could expect an amazing finale. We have often had finales in Abu Dhabi.”
Any of the top three could finish sixth on an average weekend
Villeneuve said the field depth makes every race volatile: “Every race is based on pole. Even when we get to a track where it is easy to overtake, you hear everyone saying it is hard to overtake here. It has always been hard. That is the name of the game in racing. It is not supposed to be easy. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.”
He added that Ferrari and Mercedes are now influencing the title picture: “The Ferrari has shown speed. Leclerc was really quick in the race. The Mercedes pace was good. We have seen it with Verstappen in the two previous races, he was not fighting the McLaren, he was fighting other cars. So on an average weekend, any of those three could finish sixth.”
Villeneuve said the permutations are endless: “It is not just a battle with three drivers at the front now. It is three for the championship, but there are six cars that can fight for the podium and win. There are so many permutations now, which is why 24 points is nothing.”
Norris and Verstappen tipped for Qatar fight, with Ferrari and Mercedes in the mix
Villeneuve expects a direct Norris-Verstappen showdown but believes a multi-team battle is likely: “Verstappen will be putting the pressure on Norris. And Piastri will not be too far behind to take advantage of maybe a tangle with Verstappen and Norris.”
He sees Ferrari and Mercedes complicating the fight: “I am imagining more of a Norris-Verstappen battle where the Ferrari or Mercedes are getting in the middle.”
The Canadian places this season among Formula 1’s best: “This season is one of the really good ones. There was the season where we had Hamilton against Rosberg as teammates. There was some animosity between the two.
"The good season when you had Mansell involved, the Prost-Senna one, the one where Vettel won his first championship in the last race. This season is one of those. It is one that should remain in the history books," Villeneuve ventured.
(Source: CanadaCasino)
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