If Hollywood’s finest screenwriters had taken a crack at crafting this Formula 1 season, they’d probably have been told to tone it down. Yet here we are: three races left (one a Sprint weekend), the championship on a knife-edge, and two McLaren drivers slugging it out like a blockbuster’s final act.
Lando Norris leads Oscar Piastri by a slender 24-point margin, with an upper ceiling of 83 points still on offer. It’s a setup so perfectly poised that even the neutral fan can feel their pulse quickening.
The psychological toll of such a battle cannot be overstated. In the midst of a championship run-in, the mind constantly tries to race ahead to the final reckoning, when in reality, drivers must force themselves to stay anchored to the present moment. Otherwise, it’s the quickest route to distraction.
With that perspective, we break down what we believe we’ve witnessed from Norris and Piastri over the season so far – their standout strengths, their occasional missteps, and the subtle nuances separating two drivers locked in combat.
Qualifying
Norris: 8/10
Piastri: 8/10
Early in the year, Norris’ qualifying performances were held back by car setups that didn’t quite suit him. On pure pace, Norris is blisteringly fast when everything aligns, yet too often he failed to knit the lap together at the decisive moment. Between the two McLaren drivers, the gaps were razor-thin – sometimes just hundredths – with a tenth of a second bordering on a chasm.
Because McLaren enjoyed a competitive package, those tiny deltas didn’t always hurt. But as the season wore on and Max Verstappen began inserting himself back into the qualifying mix, Norris’ occasional lapses became more costly when he missed out on the front row.
More recently, Norris appears to have rediscovered his qualifying rhythm, helping him nudge comfortably ahead of Piastri on Saturdays and perhaps leaving the Australian more prone to overreaching.
Race Starts
Norris: 7/10
Piastri: 8/10
Piastri was the steadier performer off the line earlier in the season, while Norris slowly ironed out his own issues. Norris surrendered valuable points with sluggish getaways, whereas Piastri showed a sharper instinct – bold, clean, and occasionally audacious when a door cracked open.
Piastri initially looked the more clinical overtaker, though the Australian has since experienced some bumps in the road. The turning point might have been Baku, which seemed to rattle Piastri in a way an otherwise composed junior-career record never had.
In contrast, Norris has found a stronger form in the opening laps more recently, showing improved decisiveness without letting caution trip him up. Taking the season as a whole, Piastri has the slight edge.
Overtaking
Norris: 7/10
Piastri: 8/10
Piastri has consistently demonstrated boldness and calculation in wheel-to-wheel battles, often looking the more naturally confident fighter when space gets tight. Norris, by comparison, has sometimes seemed more reluctant to take aggressive risks.
Singapore stands out as a moment when Norris did gamble, though the execution was somewhat scruffy despite ultimately paying off. And in Brazil, it was Piastri who found himself hit with a penalty for nudging Antonelli – though the more important detail: he was willing to try.
Wet Weather Conditions
Norris: 8/10
Piastri: 8/10
Brazil offered a small but telling sample. Norris thrived in the slippery conditions, mastering the kerb-dodging precision the rain demanded. Piastri, on the other hand, stumbled.
Still, neither driver has delivered anything close to a career-defining wet-weather masterclass of the Senna or Hamilton variety. If either has a secret wet-weather superpower, they’re keeping it very well hidden.
Tyre Management
Norris: 9/10
Piastri: 8/10
On this front, there’s a clear leader: Norris. Norris’s tyre care is instinctive and assured, allowing him to operate seamlessly even as grip fades and balance becomes delicate. After Mexico, engineer Andrea Stella praised Norris’ comfort in working with a sliding tyre rather than fighting against it.
Piastri is still adapting to this subtle art form. It’s a skill that may not be teachable. Norris sees a bigger “operating window” and moves within it more fluidly.
Technical Understanding
Norris: 8/10
Piastri: 9/10
Inside the garage, engineers consistently commend Piastri for his technical sensitivity. Tom Stallard, in particular, has highlighted how acutely Piastri perceives fine mechanical details. Norris, by contrast, seems more inclined to trust his team to handle the technical layers rather than digging deeply into the “why” himself.
Mental Resilience
Norris: 9/10
Piastri: 7/10
The psychological battle is the most intriguing shift. At the beginning of the season, Piastri appeared mentally stronger. But as the dynamics changed and Norris spent longer clawing back lost ground, the momentum – and the composure – swung in the Briton’s favour.
Piastri only recently surrendered his lead in the standings, and that abrupt reversal demands a significant emotional recalibration. Brazil offered a glimpse of Piastri processing the setback, salvaging what he could, yet still leaving with fewer points than he needed.
Norris has raised his game with conviction. The difference in age and experience is beginning to show, with Piastri still adjusting to the relentless pressure cooker of a genuine title fight. Even Mark Webber (Piastri’s manager) felt compelled to offer Piastri encouragement, a reminder that the Australian is just six months younger than Norris but has significantly more F1 mileage.
Both drivers are wrestling with internal turbulence. A championship run is as much a mental marathon as a physical one.
Final Summary: How the Numbers Add Up
Across the seasons scorecard, Lando Norris edges the duel with steadier racecraft and sharper tyre management, while Oscar Piastri shines in technical feel and wheel-to-wheel bravery. But tallying every category reveals a clear—if narrow—leader.
Category Scores
| Category | Norris | Piastri |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | 8 | 8 |
| Race Starts | 7 | 8 |
| Overtaking | 7 | 8 |
| Wet Conditions | 8 | 8 |
| Tyre Management | 9 | 8 |
| Technical Understanding | 8 | 9 |
| Mental Resilience | 9 | 7 |
| Total | 56/70 | 56/70 |
On paper, the two title contenders finish dead level—56 points apiece. Norris’ maturity, tyre craft and late-season mental surge counterbalance Piastri’s sharper starts, clinical overtaking and superior technical intuition. Numerically inseparable. Stylistically unalike. And heading into the final three rounds, utterly impossible to call.
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