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Why Piastri has the edge over Norris in title race war
Emily Benammar • November 6th, 2025 1:29 pm
Formula One expert Chris Medland has backed Oscar Piastri to emerge victorious over teammate Lando Norris in the race to become world champion despite a run of bad form.
The star Aussie driver has relinquished a commanding lead in the driver standings having started the season with seven wins from 15 races, and he now trails McLaren teammate Norris by one point.
Piastri had led the Brit by as many as 34 points has failed to make it on the podium since Monza in early September, while Norris surged with his most recent win in Mexico leapfrogging him ahead of the Australian.
Creeping up behind them both is defending champion Max Verstappen, who in August, was more than 100 points off the lead and looked resigned to give up his hopes of a fifth straight title.
With four races left on the calendar, experts are divided on whether one of the McLaren drivers can claim a maiden world title or if Verstappen will beat them both.
For Hedland, Piastri has one clear advantage over Norris which is his capacity to be cool under pressure.
“Of the two McLaren drivers I would be backing a fight to the end given what we have seen, I think Oscar has the better chance. He is still more consistent (than Norris) despite the drop off,” Medland told SEN Breakfast.
“I wouldn’t change too much from Oscar's point of view, the last two races I’m saying were a blip.
“I expect him to be stronger this weekend. He has a history of learning from his errors very quickly. He is only in his third year in F1 and he is on track to the champion.
“He’s been the leader and dealing with the pressure. Lando is more up and down when the pressure is on.
“Norris now has something to lose. If Oscar stays within touch of Norris, the question is how will Norris handle the pressure, will he do it as well as Oscar has?
“Oscar is in uncharted territory, not because he’s going for a title, but because when he was driving in F3, the same thing happened and he didn’t give his best performances in the final rounds.
“He took confidence from that, even not at his best he can scrap for a title.”
Amid suggestions of team sabotage, preferential treatment and different cars, Hedland was asked to pin point where the 2025 season may have turned for Piastri.
“Azerbajan hit his confidence,” he said. “He had been the better of the two (McLarens), Lando’s dips have been lower, Oscar’s consistency has been good.
“Baku happened, the weekend spiralled from him. It knocks a guy’s confidence.
“Oscar couldn’t afford that step back. He went within himself a bit.
“In Singapore he settled but the incident (between piastre and Norris) carried over into a Mexican hangover. Then you get into your head.
“It’s all a knock on from Baku, without that weekend he would still have a lead.
“I’m confident there is no team sabotage. They wouldn’t get away with it particularly with Mark Webber looking over their shoulder.”
F1 returns this weekend in Brazil where the title could be back in Piastri's grip with points available in Sunday's sprint race (3-4am NZ Time) and Monday's Grand Prix (6am NZT).
