Villeneuve predicts a fierce championship fight between McLaren teammates Norris and Piastri, especially if McLaren dominates the 2025 F1 season.
A thrilling battle for the F1 driver’s championship is shaping up between McLaren’s two talented drivers, despite Max Verstappen managing to secure pole position, edging out Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri today.
This is the view of 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who points out that the contracts of both drivers prevent the Woking-based team from favoring one over the other too quickly.
Given that McLaren F1 has a chance to maintain a slight advantage over its rivals this season, it would be fantastic to witness a genuine title fight, at least between these two drivers, according to the Canadian.
“They can’t prioritize Lando over Oscar due to their contracts. Oscar’s contract protects him. And that’s great for the suspense this year,” Villeneuve explained.
“As long as both drivers have a shot at the championship, there won’t be team orders—unless there’s a major event for the constructors’ title or if one of them faces a significant issue during a race, like we saw last season.”
Villeneuve believes it was crucial for Norris to finish second behind Piastri in the recent Chinese Grand Prix to maintain his lead in the driver standings.
“All that matters for McLaren is that they currently have a car that’s easy to drive for both, allowing them to control the championship.”
“Lando still struggles with the front end, wearing out his front tires a bit too much, and China is a track that promotes understeering, which further wears out the front tires. He was bound to have a tougher time there. Since the second or first position makes a big difference in the standings, it was important for Lando to score as many points as possible and keep pushing. He knows that Oscar, in the long run, will be a threat to his title chances, and the battle could well come down to him and his teammate.”
“It’s always the hardest when you’re fighting against your teammate.”
After Norris’ victory over Piastri in Melbourne, where Piastri spun off into the grass towards the end of the race, preventing him from finishing second, Piastri bounced back in China by finishing second in the sprint and crossing the line first in the Grand Prix.
Norris, meanwhile, once again criticized himself for making too many mistakes, particularly during qualifying, which left him at a disadvantage in the race.
“Oscar was better under pressure than Lando in China,” Villeneuve said.
“Lando was faster all weekend, but every time it mattered, he made mistakes in qualifying, which meant he couldn’t have a strong race.”
“Oscar stayed calm. He maximized his weekend, did well in qualifying, got a good start, and, as we saw, performed well at the front. Lando was quick but found himself behind and overheated his brakes.”
“Sometimes, it’s not about being the fastest; it’s about having a better weekend, making fewer mistakes, and performing well under pressure.”
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Villeneuve: McLaren Duo Set to Deliver Intense Championship Battle
Villeneuve: McLaren Duo Set to Deliver Intense Championship Battle