Lando Norris (left), Max Verstappen (center) and Oscar Piastri battle for the World Championship crown. © ANSA / Daniel Dal Zennaro

Four routes, three drivers, one goal

The Formula 1 World Championship title race is entering its final stretch. Sao Paulo, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi will provide the stage for the grand finale.

05 November 2025

From: dpa

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was 104 points behind, but he has since made up 68 of those points. What are the arguments for the defending champion, for Oscar Piastri, and for the current championship leader, Lando Norris?

Verstappen's fascinating comeback suffered a slight setback with his third-place finish in Mexico. Nevertheless, the dominant driver of recent years closed the gap to the championship leader by another four points. Since his home race in the Netherlands, the Red Bull star has made up 68 points in just under two months across six race weekends. He is now only 36 points behind first place. Four Grands Prix and two sprint races remain, with a maximum of 116 points up for grabs.

Lando Norris, 357 points

Even though Lando Norris made a strong statement in Mexico with his sixth win of the season, McLaren is feeling the headwinds. It will become clear by December 7th at the latest whether Norris can keep his self-doubt under control. Many had already written the Briton off in the title fight. Not fast enough, not consistent enough, too prone to errors – that was the verdict. But in Mexico, with a commanding lights-to-flag victory, he replaced his teammate Piastri at the top of the World Championship standings after 189 days.

Lando Norris wants to stay at the front. © APA/afp / CARL DE SOUZA

The Englishman has one major advantage over his two-years-younger teammate in the title fight: experience in direct duels with Verstappen. Last year, Norris already tried (unsuccessfully) to stop the Dutchman. Most recently, he has taken advantage of the freedom McLaren grants him: free rein for both drivers, with no clear number one. In the intra-team battle, Norris currently has the edge over Piastri – and not just because the Briton drives for a traditional British team.

Oscar Piastri, 356 points

Piastri is the youngest contender in the title fight. The 24-year-old is only in his third Formula 1 season. Trained at Renault, he eventually made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren. At just 21, he personally denied a statement from the French team about an alleged signing via social media – a glimpse into his determination.

Oscar Piastri is getting up close and personal. © ANSA / Jos

With seven wins, Piastri currently has the most Grands Prix of the title-fighting trio. But since Monza, the race where he was allowed to overtake Norris on the orders of his pit wall, things haven't gone smoothly. No wins, no podium finishes in the last four races. Piastri is making mistakes, and combined with his poor qualifying, there's little to suggest the Australian has a good chance at the moment.

Max Verstappen, 321 points

The facts: 28 years old, eleventh Formula 1 season, World Champion in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, 68-time Grand Prix winner. For a long time, the dream of a fifth consecutive title seemed to have vanished, but Verstappen has fought his way back. The appointment of Laurent Mekies – an engineer with a focus on the essentials – instead of the powerful team principal Christian Horner noticeably changed the atmosphere at Red Bull. Six podium finishes in the last six races, including four wins, speak volumes for Verstappen.

Max Verstappen is aiming for his fifth title. © APA/afp / CARL DE SOUZA

However, the reigning champion cannot yet clinch the world title on his own merit. He is dependent on help from Mercedes or Ferrari – or on the McLaren drivers taking points off each other. It's clear that Verstappen has an experience advantage in the championship battle with McLaren. The upcoming sprint weekend in Sao Paulo is likely to set the next benchmark in the title race.