Oscar Piastri Reveals Massive Edge Over Max Verstappen

Oscar Piastri has shown his confidence in McLaren’s current position in the 2025 Formula 1 championship. After nine races, Piastri leads the title chase with 186 points while his teammate Lando Norris follows closely with 176.

Max Verstappen, the defending champion for Red Bull, trails both by a significant margin, sitting on 137 points. Verstappen has picked up key wins in Japan and Imola but has said that car problems at Red Bull have affected his push for a fifth straight title.

The battle at the top of the drivers’ standings has become a two-against-one fight, with McLaren’s Piastri and Norris both competing for the championship while Verstappen is Red Bull’s only serious contender. This type of scenario doesn’t happen often in Formula 1, but the 1986 season has become a reference point, when Williams had two drivers in the hunt and ended up losing the title to McLaren’s Alain Prost after their drivers split the points.

Piastri explained that having two strong drivers in the same team creates a clear advantage and helps both push each other to find extra performance. He commented that the presence of Norris as a close rival has helped both McLaren drivers improve each race.

“You don’t have to split your focus, but having someone close in speed keeps you sharp and always looking for improvements,” Piastri said to reporters. This competition inside the team makes each driver focus on being better, which lifts the whole group.

While Verstappen’s experience and skill are recognized even by his main rivals, Piastri believes that the Red Bull star faces bigger challenges with fewer teammates in range on track, and the team can’t run as many different strategies as McLaren.

Recent results back this up, as McLaren leads the constructors’ standings with 362 points, outpacing Ferrari’s 165 and Red Bull’s 144.

The rest of the year looks set to continue this trend, especially as McLaren seems to have good speed at many different circuits. Verstappen’s deficit, almost 50 points behind Piastri after just over a third of the season, shows how hard it will be to catch up unless Red Bull solves its issues quickly.

The team has faced questions about their development pace, while McLaren keeps picking up strong results. Upcoming races in Canada, Austria, and Britain will test whether McLaren can keep this form going, or if Red Bull and Verstappen are able to fight back and close the gap.

Meanwhile, Piastri and Norris must balance their championship ambitions while trying not to take points from each other too often and risk letting Verstappen back into the battle.

With McLaren now holding the lead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, all eyes are on how both teams will adjust strategies for the races ahead. The high level of competition among the leaders suggests there will be plenty more twists before this season’s champion is decided. Verstappen’s challenge and skill continue to draw attention, especially as he schools Ferrari when it comes to title ambitions.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.