By James Broughton, May 14, 2025
He’s got the speed, the consistency, and the natural talent. He’s a multiple race winner with a championship-winning car at his disposal for the 2025 F1 season. There’s little to separate Lando Norris from Oscar Piastri. However, Piastri has blossomed into the finished article and is emerging as a formidable contender for the 2025 F1 Drivers’ Championship.
Since his entry into Formula 1, Piastri has displayed a calm assuredness behind the wheel—even in the most intense moments. One such moment came during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Running in second place, he relentlessly pressured Max Verstappen, a driver notoriously difficult to pass and even more unpredictable to race against. But Piastri remained patient, waited for Verstappen to make a mistake, and immediately seized the moment when he did.
It was Norris’s turn, making his way back through the field after a sluggish start. However, he appeared flummoxed at times, making life more difficult than it needed to be against Verstappen, who was clearly lacking pace compared to the McLarens. Verstappen ran Norris wide on several occasions, forcing him to take evasive action and costing him valuable momentum in his battle with Piastri.
Eventually, Norris used the superior performance of his McLaren to get past Verstappen, but it took him three laps longer than it had taken Piastri. While Piastri went on to win the race, Norris had to settle for second, his only consolation being the fastest lap. Miami revealed a dent in Norris’s armour; over the radio, he blamed Verstappen for questionable driving tactics and accused him of deliberately forcing him wide.
It’s All In The Mind
But let’s be honest—everyone knows how Verstappen races and the lengths he’ll go to stay ahead. By now, Norris should have developed a strategy to counter him. Piastri remained calm and clinical in dealing with Verstappen, while Norris appeared flustered. It seems Norris hasn’t learned from last season and continues to carry a chip on his shoulder when it comes to racing Verstappen on track.
Perhaps Norris’s biggest weakness is his tendency to dwell on his mental well-being. He might be better off saving those reflections for his post-career memoir. In any sport, managing mental pressures is just as critical as physical conditioning. And like training in the gym, it’s often best handled behind closed doors, away from public scrutiny.
Norris often speaks openly about the mental toll of Formula One—which is commendable in some respects, but it also offers his rivals a window into his mindset. In a sport where marginal gains matter, any insight freely given can easily be turned into an on-track advantage. If he is defeated in the mind, he will be defeated on the track. Only he can unlock that which is holding him back—and it isn’t Verstappen, nor is it Piastri.