The 2025 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship battle between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is heading into its tense final phase, perfectly mirroring the highly competitive conclusion of the 2024 season.
With the title race now on a knife-edge, the key to predicting who will emerge victorious lies in analysing how both drivers handled the pressure in the final five races of last season, when the competitive margins were at their narrowest.
While Norris finished 2024 as the clear momentum leader, it is Piastri’s newfound consistency in 2025 that has given him the critical advantage, a reversal that provides a fascinating psychological layer to this year's fight.
Lando Norris’s momentum vs Oscar Piastri’s late 2024 fade
There was contrasting momentum between the two drivers during the last five races of the 2024 season, a stretch that saw Norris close the gap on Max Verstappen, while Piastri's form waned.
| Grand Prix (2024 Season) | Lando Norris's Finish | Oscar Piastri's Finish |
| Mexico City (R20) | P2 | P8 |
| São Paulo (R21) | P6 | P8 |
| Las Vegas (R22) | P6 | P7 |
| Qatar (R23) | P10 | P3 |
| Abu Dhabi (R24) | P1 (Winner) | P10 |
| Net Points | 60 | 30 |
Lando Norris was considered the superior performer in the final stretch of 2024.
He finished the season strongly, ultimately guiding McLaren to the Constructors' title and claiming a decisive victory in the Abu Dhabi season finale.
His consistency and raw pace in the second half of the year were supposed to propel him to the 2025 Drivers' Championship lead.
Oscar Piastri, however, showed signs of dropping off slightly in the final races of 2024, despite having a hugely successful sophomore year overall.
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This fluctuation in performance was seen as a key area for the Australian to improve upon.
The 2025 reversal: Oscar Piastri’s crucial consistency
The irony of the current situation is that the momentum has completely reversed for the 2025 title fight.
While Norris was the strong finisher in 2024, it is Piastri who has demonstrated the consistency needed to lead the 2025 championship, holding a 22-point advantage over his teammate.
Piastri has been more clinical in converting pole positions and has made fewer visible errors than Norris.
The Australian is now capitalising on the performance advantage of the McLaren car by minimising his mistakes and maximising his points haul, while Norris has been plagued by minor errors and poor luck.
As the 2025 season heads into its final six races, the psychological edge belongs to Piastri, who has turned his rival's momentum into his own advantage, proving that in a title fight, consistency ultimately trumps late-season form.
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