Norris needs to ignore Verstappen to challenge Piastri for the F1 title

Saturday, 17 May 2025 at 07:30

Lando Norris knows he has a major battle on his hands to overcome his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who has seized the upper hand in what is shaping up to be a season-long Formula 1 world title fight between the pair.

Piastri continues to grow stronger with every Grand Prix weekend, despite having only about a third of the Formula 1 starts that Norris has on his CV. The Australian now has more race victories to his name (6) following his latest win in Miami, edging ahead in their career win tally.

While credit must go to Piastri for steadily refining his racecraft and emerging as one of the standout drivers on the grid today, it is his calm, composed, and clinical approach behind the wheel that sets him apart. Without much fanfare, Piastri has quietly become a formidable presence on race day, calm but ruthless, an ‘assassin’ in the cockpit when the stakes are highest.

Norris, by contrast, has undeniable raw speed. But despite his pace, he has struggled to piece together complete weekends and turn qualifying promise into Sunday triumphs. As it stands, the scoreline in race wins this season reads four to Piastri and one to Norris, an early but significant gap in what looks set to be a straight shootout for the World Championship.

The reality is simple: whichever McLaren driver wins the most races this season will most likely be crowned 2025 F1 World Champion, a first for both.

Montoya: McLaren will soon let them race

Piastri’s rise has been aided by strong support in the form of his manager Mark Webber, the former Red Bull driver who has played a key role in developing his fellow Australian into a serious title contender. It is a stark contrast to the pre-season narrative that had most betting on Norris to be Champ.

So, what does Norris need to do to overcome the in-form Piastri? And what exactly is the difference between the pair right now?

Those questions will take centre stage this weekend at Imola, where Piastri again edged Norris in Friday free practice for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. With momentum on the Aussies’ side, the pressure is mounting on the Brit to find answers, and fast.

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes there will come a point soon when McLaren will be so far ahead in the Constructors’ Championship that attention will turn fully to Piastri and Norris, as the Woking outfit seeks to add to their dozen F1 Drivers' titles, the last won for them by Lewis Hamilton back in 2008.

Montoya: Norris fighting the wrong opponent

Stella: It would have been wiser for Norris to lift [on lap 1]

Montoya told the media team at Spin Genie: "Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are still finishing one-two. The only concern for McLaren at the moment is the Constructors’ Championship, and they have the only two drivers consistently gaining points every week. Norris and Piastri haven't come together yet, and they keep doing the right thing.

"There will be a point, which we're all hoping for, when the Drivers' Championship gets tight and the main aim will be not to hit each other, but they will race hard. McLaren will be so far ahead in the Constructors’, they will let the drivers race at some point.

"They could hit each other during a race and McLaren will try to shut down any racing and say, 'You guys are not mature enough to race each other properly yet.' When they do race, it will be great for the McLaren name and great for the viewers to watch."

Montoya continued: "In my time in F1, you could have a setup for qualifying and a setup for the race. The problem now is that McLaren are totally focused on their race pace; they're not focusing on getting the quickest lap in qualifying. They know they have the superior car in the races. I know Lando a little better than I do Oscar. I hope Norris can win in Imola."

Montoya: I think the Red Bull will be quick in Imola qualifying

norris verstappen mclaren qualifying suzuka

As for his expectations this weekend at Imola, the 40-year-old Colombian said: "It will be interesting to see what Kimi Antonelli can do in Italy. I think the Red Bull will be quick in Imola qualifying because they still have very good high-speed performance, and Imola suits that. But the McLarens will probably pull away from the rest.

"Miami was a good race, it was interesting. Norris put himself in an unnecessary position at the start of the race. He's trying to fight Verstappen in a bit of a desperate manner, I think. If Norris were more analytical and determined, it would be easier for him.

"He's trying to force Verstappen into a mistake that will never come. Norris needs to change his approach. He was in a prime position; he outqualified Piastri and had more pace than him. One bad decision hurt his race. I still think Norris managed to recover well, but he needs to focus on his own speed and drive to the best of his ability.

"Norris needs to take Piastri out of the equation. If he focuses on himself and his own speed, he can beat Verstappen and he'll automatically beat his teammate."

Montoya also suggested that Norris is targeting the wrong ‘enemy’ on track: "We're all different when the helmet is on. The problem for Norris is that you can take the fight to Verstappen, but the more points you're giving away to Piastri. Everyone loves to see the fight between Norris and Verstappen, but it is completely unnecessary for his fight for the championship."

Herbert: Norris under mental siege from both sides

Former F1 driver and FIA race steward turned pundit Johnny Herbert weighed in with his theory: "It is not just Max who has a mental edge over Lando, it's Oscar as well. Both of them are trying to play a very similar game, which is to tell Lando, 'We are better than you. You're not worthy to be able to beat us.'

"The only way Norris can overcome that is by consistently producing those fast lap times and those fast race performances, as he did last year. But it's those little mistakes that have been coming into play a little bit more, and it's trying to iron that out.

"Is that pressure? Possibly. But if it is pressure, that's just where you've got to be able to, like Max does and like Oscar seems to be able to do at the moment, when it hits his shoulder, it just ricochets off.

"He's going to get that battering from Max, who loves to play his little games, but also he's going to be getting that on the other side of the garage from Oscar. So, he’s getting it in stereo, but it's about blanking it off. That's what the greats always do.

"Even when you see the guys in that cooldown room at the end, Oscar is so confident in that room. Sometimes it's very, very subtle, but he’s sending a message: I’m better than you," ventured Herbert, speaking to Fruity King.

Piastri has the mindset of a champion

Asked if Piastri has the mindset of a F1 World Champion, Herbert replied: "Yes, he does. I always remember seeing that, probably with Mika Hakkinen in many respects. Also, Damon Hill. You’d see them in the paddock during a race weekend, and their characters just completely change. They become very, very focused on the job that they do.

"It's the ability to completely and utterly blank out everything that's going on around. And I remember Mika and Damon being very much that way inclined. They could focus on what they were doing, and the external forces did not affect them. And I think that's similar to Verstappen.

"He doesn’t bat an eyelid. That's something we see in Piastri, whereas with Norris, there seems to be a little bit more sensitivity from the bad publicity that he gets for making those mistakes. No one is perfect. It's how you deal with it.

"That's where Oscar just seems, at the present time anyway, in this very special place that only a few of those drivers get to," ventured Herbert, a veteran of 161 Grand Prix starts.

Ahead of Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Round 7 of this year's championship, Piastri leads the 2025 F1 Drivers' standings by 16 points from Norris, with Verstappen already 32 points off the top spot. McLaren are dominating the Constructors’ standings, holding a 105-point lead over their engine suppliers, Mercedes, who have yet to win a race this season.