Introduction

The 2025 Formula One season featured one of the most thrilling championship battles in recent history, with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri emerging as the principal contenders for the driver’s title. Each driver brought exceptional skill and determination to the fight, creating a season marked by dramatic races, unexpected twists, and high-stakes moments. In the end Norris held off Verstappen by only two points with Piastri only 13 points behind.

Max Verstappen: The Defending Champion’s Pursuit

Max Verstappen entered the season as the reigning champion, aiming to win his fifth (fourth?) consecutive championship in a row. Red Bull Racing (Red Bull) lagged behind McLaren early in the season and Verstappen fell far behind. However, Red Bull continued upgrading their car while McLaren stopped doing so. That combined with Verstappen’s consistency, ,ability to extract maximum performance from along with repeated missteps from McLaren allowed him to near miraculously rejoin the title fight. Verstappen’s experience having fought for the championship in the past proved invaluable during critical races, particularly in challenging weather conditions and high-pressure scenarios. He claimed several race victories that reinforced his reputation as a relentless competitor.

Red Bull nearly won the driver’s championship but was a weak third in the constructor’s championship. This is due to Red Bull being a one car team. How did that affect the title race? Verstappen did not have a teammate taking points off of him the way Norris and Piastri did. Few, if any, could take consistent points from Verstappen but no driver is going to beat another quality driver in every race. A real teammate inevitably would take points from Verstappen.

However, Red Bull being a one car team almost surely hurt Verstappen more than it helped him. When Red Bull was more competitive, they failed to have any 1-2 finishes to maximize the points gained on the McLaren duo. In fact, Verstappen’s teammates failed to record any podium finishes. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz had two podium finishes for Williams. If Red Bull signed Sainz I think Verstappen wins the championship in 2025, but Red Bull seems hesitant to give Verstappen anything other than a doormat as a teammate. Verstappen is an all-time great but whether he can enter the greatest of all-time conversation depends on if he can prove himself against a quality teammate.

Lando Norris: The Breakthrough Challenger

Having shown flashes in the past and finishing 2^nd, albeit a distant second, in 2024, Norris was poised to make a run in 2025. He quickly fell behind Piastri, though, which was surprising. There are many who believe Piastri has the higher ceiling and by midseason that camp appeared vindicated. However, Piastri’s form promptly trailed off while Norris upped his game , displaying remarkable pace and maturity. Norris’s performances were characterized by precision and strategic brilliance, often outmaneuvering rivals through clever pit stops and tire management. His maiden victories and consistent podium finishes kept him neck-and-neck with Verstappen, fueling the rivalry and captivating fans worldwide.

Oscar Piastri: The Rising Star

Oscar Piastri made a significant impact in the 2025 championship battle. As a rising star, Piastri showcased exceptional talent, but his form strangely fell off after the summer before recovering in the final races. He is much less experienced than the other two title protaganists, a fact often forgotten given his speed and overall driving ability. There is speculation that he was not the same after team orders caused him to lose to Norris at the Italian Grand Prix but I don’t buy it. Piastri has remarkable poise so I doubt something like that would destabilize him. Moreover, the switch was made on defensible grounds with the implication that if and when the roles reverse McLaren would similarly reward him. More likely is that the pressure of being the championship leader got to him. Few drivers or teams win a championship in their first real attempt. Usually, a driver or team has to lose one before winning. That is the more likely explanation. If so, he should rebound strongly in 2026. Piastri is one of the sport’s brightest new talents.

Is Lando Norris a “Worthy Champion”?

The last ten champions are: Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Button, Raikkonen, Alonso, Schumacher, and Hakkinen. All of these are all-time greats except for Button and Rosberg. If you take a longer view the next two champions are Villeneuve and Hill, who are preceded by a parade of all-time greats. Villeneuve and Hill fall in the Button and Rosberg class, not the Hamilton and Schumacher class.

You don’t luck into a championship, though. It takes talent to get into a championship caliber ride. Then it takes more talent to win a championship. Even the “lesser” drivers on the list are accomplished racers.

Norris’ critics ignore that he had stiff competition from his teammate. This wasn’t a Button 2009 situation.

Is Norris an all-time great? He probably is not. His career likely will unfold like Button’s but only time will tell. If Norris wins another championship or two, he will elevate himself into the next tier. 2026 is a wild card with the rules changes but Norris is young enough to be a championship caliber driver for many years.

Conclusion

The 2025 Formula One driver’s championship battle between Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri was a showcase of elite motorsport talent and competitive spirit. The season’s dynamic rivalry captivated audiences and demonstrated the ever-evolving nature of Formula One, as drivers at different points in their careers vied for glory in one of the most memorable title fights in recent history. I am glad Formula One has a seasonal championship format. That is what makes season long battles that go to the final race so exhilarating and memorable (as opposed to NASCAR’s contrived format).

If it were not for the rules changes, we could expect the trio to pick up where they left off in 2026 but who knows what 2026 will bring. Either way it will be exciting.