McLaren appears to be prioritizing Oscar Piastri in the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship battle, as Lando Norris has shown costly mistakes and consistency issues. The team’s internal decision reflects growing confidence in Piastri’s potential, especially following a high-profile crash at the Canadian Grand Prix that impacted Norris’ title aspirations.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher highlighted this shift, suggesting McLaren’s leadership now sees Piastri as their stronger candidate for the championship due to Norris’ repeated errors and race incidents.
Was the Canadian GP collision the turning point for Norris’ title challenge?
At the start of the 2025 season, McLaren team principals Zak Brown and Andrea Stella emphasized that both Norris and Piastri would be treated as equals with freedom to race fairly under balanced team rules outlined as
“race him hard, race him clean, don’t touch.”
However, Norris broke this principle at the Canadian Grand Prix by colliding with Piastri while battling for fourth place on a high-speed straight. This contact caused Norris to crash heavily into the pit wall, forcing his immediate retirement.
Piastri managed to continue after a precautionary pit stop during a Safety Car period and secured fourth place, extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship from 10 points to 22 points over Norris. Schumacher believes this crash significantly damaged Norris’ championship prospects.
“I believe that it is now internally decided that Piastri is the man the team will focus on in terms of the World Championship,”
—Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver
“Lando shows too many weaknesses and makes too many mistakes, including his senseless driving into the back of Oscar in Canada.”
—Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver
Comparing the 2025 McLaren teammates’ performance so far
Despite the controversy, Schumacher commended Norris for accepting responsibility and apologizing promptly after the crash.
“He has apologised and that shows what a great person he is,”
—Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver
“It’s no use, because great people rarely win titles.”
—Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver
Norris faced difficulties throughout the Canadian weekend, including a qualifying error that relegated him to seventh on the grid, not his first mistake during the season’s qualifying sessions. Although he recovered some positions with a strong race pace and briefly appeared faster than Piastri on track, his earlier errors overshadowed his performance. Observers have questioned Norris’ mental resilience following these incidents.
“This is the low point now because he has lost his nerve a bit,”
—Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver
Schumacher noted Norris’ speed and skill in managing tire stress, comparing his mental approach to Alain Prost’s famed “professor” style, but warned that Norris’s mental hurdles remain a problem.
“In [Alain] Prost’s time, one would have said ‘professor’. The only problem is in Lando’s head.”
—Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver
Piastri currently leads Norris 6-4 in qualifying and race head-to-head results for the 2025 season and holds a commanding 22-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings. While the rivalry remains alive, pundits urge Norris to address his inconsistency if he hopes to mount a serious title challenge.
Experts urge Norris to overcome inconsistent performances to remain championship contender
Martin Brundle, an experienced race analyst, warned that Norris cannot afford poor weekends if he wants to keep pace with Piastri. He compared Norris’ fluctuating form unfavorably to the consistency shown by Max Verstappen and praised Piastri’s steady delivery in contrast.
“Lando won’t win a World Championship unless he can stop these weekends happening. It’s as simple as that,”
—Martin Brundle, F1 analyst
“He’s got to bring his A-game pretty much all the time, like Max [Verstappen] does. Oscar’s much more solid in his delivery week in, week out, much more consistent.”
—Martin Brundle, F1 analyst
“I find it really confusing, those two different levels of performance. He needs to park one and deliver the other one more often, but there’s a long way to go.”
—Martin Brundle, F1 analyst
“It doesn’t mean he’s out of the championship at all. But when you look at the turnaround in points from the advantage he came away from Melbourne with, to what he’s got now, it’s a 45-point swing in that time.”
—Martin Brundle, F1 analyst
Norris’ future in the championship now seems tied to whether he can curb mistakes and stabilize his race performances. As the season progresses, McLaren’s measured choice to back Piastri may influence the title race and the team’s internal dynamics, making the battle between these two teammates one of the key storylines of 2025.
