Lando Norris holds a 24-point championship lead heading into the season’s penultimate race, with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen deadlocked in second place. The McLaren star isn’t playing favorites when sizing up his rivals.
“Both are the same. I think they’re both just as good as one another,” Norris said. “I know what Max is capable of and I think Oscar is capable of exactly the same as what Max can do.”
The championship battle took a dramatic turn last weekend in Las Vegas when both McLaren drivers were disqualified for a technical infringement.
This unexpected twist has thrown Verstappen back into serious title contention with just two races remaining.
Verstappen seems to be hitting his stride at the perfect moment. The Red Bull driver claimed victory in Las Vegas, showcasing a return to form that’s been building over recent months.
Meanwhile, Piastri hasn’t stood on the top step since winning the Dutch Grand Prix back in August.
When asked if he approaches his rivals differently on track, Norris was quick to give both competitors equal respect.
“Both have pros and cons. I think they’re both competitive, they’re both very strong, they’re both incredible drivers and I’m excited to give them a good fight on track.”
Verstappen’s comeback has been nothing short of remarkable. The Dutch driver has closed a 100-point gap to Piastri since the summer break and now sits just 24 points behind championship leader Norris.
Despite Verstappen’s surge, Norris claims his approach hasn’t changed.
“We’ve treated him as a threat the whole year, even when he was a few more points behind,” Norris explained. “Every single race, we treat him as a threat because we know what he’s capable of, we know what Red Bull is capable of, so nothing changes now.”
Norris has been on an impressive run himself. After trailing teammate Piastri earlier in the season, he’s managed to overturn the deficit and build a commanding championship lead.
Reflecting on McLaren’s 2025 campaign, Norris remains focused on improvement. “We’ve been doing a good job. We know what areas we need to do better, we know what things we need to improve on.”
With two races left and three drivers still in contention, this championship battle looks set to go down to the wire.
