Before the 2025 Formula 1 season began, bookmakers in the UK surprisingly picked Lando Norris as more likely to win the title than Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion.
Norris talked about being the favorite, but his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, quietly said he was also aiming for the championship. Bookies thought Piastri was less likely to win than Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
However, after just four races, even though Piastri is slightly behind Norris in points, he has now become the bookmakers` favorite to win the title.
It`s not certain that only McLaren drivers will be in the title fight. Verstappen from Red Bull and George Russell from Mercedes are also close contenders. But the quick change in who is seen as the top McLaren driver is definitely interesting.
Ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, we look at why Norris quickly went from being McLaren`s main hope to being seen as less likely to win than his teammate.
Can Norris Handle the Pressure?
No one really doubts Norris`s speed to be a champion. He might not be as good as Verstappen, but last year he showed he can win races when he has a fast car.
However, he didn`t win several races in 2024 when he seemed to have a slight speed advantage. This made some people wonder if he gets in his own way. He often lost the lead at race starts and sometimes seemed unsure of himself, even saying he wasn`t as good as Verstappen.
The idea was that fighting at the front in 2024 would get Norris ready for a title challenge in 2025. He started well by getting pole position in the first race in Australia and winning in tough conditions.
After that win, Russell made interesting comments, suggesting McLaren might be even faster than Red Bull was in their dominant 2023 season. Russell said he had more hope of winning because McLaren doesn`t have Verstappen.
Russell also kept mentioning to Norris that he was the favorite, which seemed to bother Norris.
In China, Norris didn`t do well in the Sprint race and finished second to Piastri in the main race. In Japan, Norris finished ahead of Piastri but was second to Verstappen, who won despite McLaren being expected to be faster.
Verstappen said after Japan that he would have easily won if he was in a McLaren. He repeated this before the Bahrain race. Norris responded to Verstappen`s comments but then qualified poorly in sixth and finished third in the race.
After qualifying, Norris said he felt `clueless` and like he had never driven an F1 car before. It`s hard to know how much his rivals` comments affect him, but they do seem to be trying to put pressure on him.
Norris`s Perspective on His Struggles
Despite acknowledging McLaren has a very fast car, Norris has hinted since the first race that he`s not completely happy with its performance.
After Piastri beat him in Bahrain, Norris admitted he`s `not clicking` with the car and not driving as well as he can.
Norris explained, `Last season, I knew every corner and how the car would behave. I felt in control.`
`This year, it`s the opposite. Even when I won in Australia, I didn`t feel confident.`
`The car is very good, which helps me, but I`m not driving to my full potential, which is frustrating.`
`I know I`m capable, but when you`re not confident in the car, knowing your limits in different types of corners, I won`t be as fast as I need to be.`
Norris believes his inconsistent start to the season is because he`s not connecting with the MCL39 car. His open comments about his struggles are unusual.
Martin Brundle commented, `When we`re disappointed, we don`t have cameras watching us. Norris expresses his disappointment openly, and that`s how he deals with it. We are all different.`
`I think he downplays expectations to reduce pressure. But saying he`s clueless, when he`s leading the championship, is not accurate. He`s one of the best drivers.`
`The problem with this approach is it might encourage rivals. Piastri, Leclerc, and Verstappen might see it as a weakness they can exploit.`
Piastri`s Progress Surpasses Expectations
Perhaps Norris`s biggest challenge is Piastri`s improvement. Piastri seems to have improved significantly in his third F1 season.
Last season, Norris was much better than Piastri in qualifying, but this season they are even. Piastri even outqualified Norris in the China Sprint.
In 2024, Norris seemed to have better race pace, but this isn`t obvious this year.
Piastri has put more pressure on Norris in races like Australia and Japan than Norris did to him in China. Piastri won comfortably in Shanghai and even more so in Bahrain, becoming the first driver with two wins this season.
Piastri`s only mistake was spinning in the rain in Melbourne, which cost him a likely second place. But he recovered quickly from finishing ninth and closed the points gap.
McLaren`s team boss, Andrea Stella, suggested after Bahrain that the 2025 car might suit Piastri`s driving style better than Norris`s.
Stella said, `We`ve made car changes that have made things harder for Lando. We know what it is technically. Lando is adapting, and it might be helping Oscar more. We`re working together to fix it.`
Despite this, McLaren has built a car that seems to be the fastest right now. If Piastri keeps winning dominantly, McLaren likely won`t change the MCL39 much.
Regardless of the car, Piastri seems to have improved his qualifying speed and how he manages tires in races, which were key areas for him to work on.
Piastri: Calm and Unfazed
Some doubted Piastri`s speed, but he has shown great composure since joining F1 in 2023.
The McLaren drivers are very different in how they handle things. Piastri reveals little to the media, no matter how he performs.
Norris is more open and entertaining, which is good for journalists, but Piastri seems to handle race weekends with less stress.
Before the Bahrain race, Martin Brundle said, `Piastri has speed, talent, and is gaining experience and comfort with McLaren.`
`He`s very calm, both in life and on the track, and this calmness will be beneficial, like in qualifying.`
`He doesn`t seem bothered by anything, and this mental strength will be important this season.`
Piastri`s approach is unlikely to change because of his new status as favorite.
Norris says his issue is with the car. It will be interesting to see if being the underdog now helps him find his best form again in Saudi Arabia this weekend.
