McLaren has established itself as arguably the clear contender for the 2025 F1 championship. Both of their drivers have been on fire in recent weeks, and they have shown no signs of slowing down. Oscar Piastri currently leads the pack as he sits eight points ahead of his teammate Lando Norris.
The Papayas have a much bigger lead in the Constructors’ Championship, as they are 238 points ahead of Ferrari. McLaren boasts nine wins and an impressive 20 podiums this season as both drivers look to fight out until the end. An F1 legend has also recently pointed out a difference between the two, which may be more of Norris‘ weakness.
Jenson Button details the major difference between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
The 2009 title winner Jenson Button recently appeared on the The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X. He was asked to compare the McLaren stars to 4-time champion Max Verstappen and how they fare against the Dutchman.
Button said, “I think Lando and Oscar are both up there. They’re very different personalities. I think Lando can be his own worst enemy. He’s unbelievably quick, but if he makes a tiny mistake… I think he thinks about it too much.”
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— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 6, 2025
“Oscar is very level-headed. He just wants to go racing, and he wants to drive fast, and he does it very well. And my comments about Max [being the best], yeah, I feel he’s the most rounded F1 driver that there has ever been, you know?” the former McLaren driver added.
The McLaren pair have not backed down from a fight, even if it’s against each other. This was also costly for Norris, who had to retire from the Canadian Grand Prix while his teammate managed to salvage a P4 finish.
Button believes that Norris’ habit of replaying the mistakes forces him to pay a heavy cost, while Piastri is just focused on driving fast. Button also gave his bold verdict that Verstappen is the most complete F1 driver in history.
Norris speaks about his chances against title rival Piastri
There are 12 races to go in the F1 2025 calendar, including the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. Norris surely has a chance to fight against his teammate, but it will also be interesting to see if McLaren lets the Briton race against Piastri.
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— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 24, 2025
Norris recently admitted to the media, “I have more understanding of everything now. But we’re talking minute things, like incredibly small gains here and there. I feel more of a threat now. But am I happy enough still with where I’m at, where the car is, and my harmony with the car? It’s still not to the level that I want.”
The 25-year-old claims that he is improving with the car and will be able to put up a better fight for the title, but also believes that the car is still not up to his standards. That will come off as a bold confession, considering how the Papayas have been flying past every team this year.
Norris will have a good chance in the rain at Spa this year, and it will be a good note to start on after a long break. Only time will tell which one of the young drivers will rise to the occasion and which will crumble under pressure.
