Battle for Formula One drivers’ championship set to go down to the wire

With just four races remaining in the 2025 Formula One season, only one point separates McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris’s victory at the Mexican Grand Prix on 26 October saw him leapfrog Piastri at the summit of the drivers’ championship standings.

This has ensured that, heading into the final four weekends of racing action, the title contenders are all on high alert. Norris has 357 points, Piastri has 356, and in third place lurks the defending champion, Max Verstappen, with 321.

Verstappen began the season hoping to win a fifth title in a row, a feat only ever achieved by the legendary Michael Schumacher.

Long-time leader

Before the Mexican Grand Prix, Piastri had been at the top of the drivers’ standings since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in mid-April and once enjoyed a healthy 34-point gap over Norris.

He last won at the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August. Podium placings have also dried up for the 24-year-old Australian. His last podium finish was in Italy in September, where he grabbed third place. In the four subsequent races, he finished outside the top three.

This has allowed his fellow title hopefuls to chip away at his lead, with Norris now usurping him to ensure an exciting finish to the season.

“I’ve just had to drive very differently the last couple of weekends, or I’ve not driven differently when I should have. That’s been a little bit strange to get my head around because I’ve been driving exactly the same as I have all year,” said Piastri.

“It’s just the last couple of weekends, the car or the tyres or something required quite a different way of driving. We did make some progress [in Mexico], and I learned a lot as well. We’ll take those positives into Brazil.”

Free to duel

The next battle for the championship is in São Paulo, Brazil, on 9 November. Then it’s Las Vegas on 23 November. The penultimate race is in Qatar at the end of November. The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi will,  on 7 December, host the grand finale.

While Piastri is out to arrest a rotten run of form, Norris is looking to maintain his upward trajectory. The Briton has been on the podium five times in the last five races, finishing second in Italy, third in Azerbaijan, third in Singapore, second in the US and first in Mexico.

“The focus doesn’t change now,” said Norris. “I’ll just keep pushing to deliver results like this and keep doing my best every weekend.”

McLaren have already secured the constructors’ championship, and according to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, the two teammates will be free to duel for the drivers’ title.

“We have proven that we have a car that can win races and, in some conditions, can dominate races,” said Stella.

“This is the most important factor, to put Lando and Oscar in condition to pursue the drivers’ championship. I don’t think it’s about mathematics; it’s about competitiveness. And it was important to confirm this competitiveness.

“The team also goes into the final four races with more understanding of how to extract performance from the car consistently, because over the last four races before Mexico, at times we have left some performance in the garage.”

It promises to be a riveting end to the season. As Piastri and Norris square off with hopes of winning their maiden Formula One title, four-time world champion Verstappen will be waiting in the wings, ready to capitalise on any mistakes. DM