The 2025 Formula 1 season enters its crucial second half as the grid prepares for the Belgian Grand Prix, one of two races before the annual August summer break. The drivers’ title remains an intense battle between McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, with Piastri holding a narrow eight-point lead. Norris, however, arrives at Spa after winning consecutive Grands Prix for the first time in his career, showcasing strong momentum in the championship fight.
This high-stakes contest between the Australian and British drivers forms the core narrative of the remaining twelve race weekends, fueling speculation about how the championship will unfold.
Insights from Formula 1’s Most Experienced Voices
To gain deeper perspective on this rivalry, the official F1 website consulted five renowned former drivers: 2009 World Champion Jenson Button, 1997 Champion Jacques Villeneuve, 13-time race winner and analyst David Coulthard, three-time Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert, and 12-time podium finisher Stefan Johansson. Each expressed the shared belief that the title battle between Piastri and Norris will be contested right up until the very last race.
David Coulthard Highlights Both Drivers’ Talent and Team Management
David Coulthard remarked on Piastri’s deserving lead and the high level of competition between the teammates.
“If it was half a World Championship, Oscar’s won, I don’t think anyone could say he hasn’t deserved to be leading – he was leading before [the McLarens] came together in Canada. But if Lando turns it around in the second half of the season, he’s doing it against someone that’s a talented third year F1 driver. It’s a bit like 2021, where some people are still so vocal about what happened… only one driver could win. Both Max and Lewis Hamilton drove like World Champions that year, but only one of them could have the title.”
—David Coulthard, Former F1 Driver and Analyst
He also praised McLaren’s approach to managing the internal competition.
“I think McLaren have handled it really well. I think both their drivers are on the tamer side of animal than the wilder side of animal, so that probably makes it a little bit easier, But this could also be their only chance to win a world title; we don’t know what 2026 brings, we don’t know what the future is, so you’ve got to seize the moment. That’s why I’m really impressed with how Oscar has stepped up this year. But Lando’s response over the last two races is showing his quality as well. I think it’s going to be one of those things where both of them deserve it, but only one can get it.”
—David Coulthard, Former F1 Driver and Analyst
Stefan Johansson: Championship Outcome Hinges on Fine Margins
Stefan Johansson emphasized that the final result will likely depend on circumstances rather than outright speed.
“I think it’s going to go down to the wire. In the end, it will probably be circumstances that tip the outcome of the championship. Because speed-wise they’re so close, it’s probably going to come down to race craft, reading situations the right way, and avoiding any sort of unforced errors, if you like, Oscar had his penalty at Silverstone, which you can debate whether it was justified or not, but I think things like that, or Lando’s incident in Montreal… those are the things that are going to tip the scale at the end of the year.”
—Stefan Johansson, Former F1 Driver
Button and Herbert Praise Piastri’s Composure and Mental Strength
Jenson Button and Johnny Herbert drew attention to the contrasting mental approaches of the two drivers, noting Piastri’s calmness as a crucial advantage.
“Austria was a really important weekend for Lando. I think if it went on any longer without Lando winning, mentally it’s very tough for a driver. Especially someone like Lando, who I think can be his own worst enemy at times – he puts a lot of pressure on himself. He’s unbelievably quick, but if he makes a tiny mistake, he really takes it to heart,”
said Button.
Button highlighted how the mental toll can affect performance in a championship fight.
Herbert added insight on Piastri’s mature entry into Formula 1 and Norris’s ongoing development.
“Oscar’s come into F1 in a very, very mature way,”
Herbert began.
He’s got himself in a good team at the right time and he’s delivering. But then I throw it on the other side, and Lando is improving … he’s probably a later developer in some ways, but he has changed over the last couple of years. I think the incident in Canada, the positives of Austria and Silverstone … I always say it’s about capacity, and I think his brain capacity sometimes gets full up. There’s the baggage that comes with everything that’s going on, and I know from my own career, there are times where you’ve got to get rid of baggage that’s hanging around your neck.”
“It’s going to be down to the mentality of both of them. But they’re both youngish and they’re only going to get better as time goes by, like Max has done, like Lewis did, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher… they have that wonderful ability to find a way of moving up every time the performance of the car gets better, With all the little ups and downs they’ve had, they’re still very, very close overall. It’ll only be one over the other come the end of the year.”
—Johnny Herbert, Former F1 Driver
Jacques Villeneuve Observes Impact of Silverstone Penalty on Title Dynamics
The 1997 World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve, underscored the shaping effect of key moments on the championship battle.
“It’s great because they’re very different. Both can win it, and we don’t know which one will get the upper hand. I think Norris still has the edge speed-wise, but he’s so good at berating himself that it’s also self-damaging at some point,”
Villeneuve remarked.
“With Piastri, it was the first time he got a penalty at Silverstone, and that saw a bit of a change of attitude. When you’re fighting for the championship, it really changes your approach. We’ve seen Norris being in the lead of the championship, being behind, fighting back, so we’ve seen kind of everything that Norris is. We haven’t seen everything that Piastri is and how he reacts in certain situations. Will that make him better or worse? That’s what I’m waiting to see.”
—Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 World Champion
Anticipating a Season-Long Battle Until the Final Race
With legends united in the view that the title fight will extend to the final race, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris continue to push each other at every turn. The championship is finely balanced, with race incidents, driver mentality, and team dynamics playing decisive roles. As the season progresses towards the summer shutdown and beyond, the McLaren teammates have both displayed the skill and resilience necessary to contend for the world title.
This intense rivalry not only highlights the rising talents of Piastri and Norris but sets the stage for an exhilarating conclusion to the 2025 F1 Drivers’ Championship.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Oscar Piastri’s family rich?
A. Oscar’s racing career received strong financial support from his father, Chris Piastri. Chris co-founded HP Tuners, an automotive software company worth around $35 billion. This backing amounted to about $6.5 million, helping Oscar reach Formula 1 racing.