Nico Rosberg believes Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are “on a par” in outright performance at McLaren but that the latter retains a “scary” advantage amid F1 2025’s close-fought title race.
The McLaren team-mates headed into F1’s summer break just nine points apart at the top of the standings after Norris’ narrow but impressive win ahead of championship leader Piastri at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The McLaren drivers have finished first and second in each of the last four races – a team sequence just one fewer than the all-time F1 record – with that run having seen the pair surge clear of reigning champion Max Verstappen in the standings to effectively set-up a straight shootout for the Drivers’ Championship over the final 10 races when the season resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 29-31.
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The 25-year-old Norris, who had comfortably beaten the slightly younger Piastri in each of their first two seasons as McLaren team-mates, had started the season as favourite for the title but it has been the Australian who has led the standings since winning April’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
And speaking on a recent edition of The F1 Show, Sky Sports F1’s Nico Rosberg said of the intra-McLaren competition: “You can’t really say that Lando is a smidge quicker anymore.
“At some point we need to stop saying that because there’s no basis to that anymore.
“Oscar has just been extremely quick always, and I see them kind of on a par.
“The championship is going to be decided in Lando’s head. That’s my that’s my kind of impression unfortunately. It’s how solid can Lando become?
“I know he’s working on it, blocking social media and all of those things.”
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In addition to his slender points lead, Piastri also heads Norris 8-6 in their 2025 qualifying head-to-head – a sharp turnaround from 2024 when the 24-year-old only outqualified the Briton four times all season.
Norris saw some race weekends earlier in the season compromised by costly mistakes in qualifying, while he also crashed into the back of Piastri to record a costly no-scoring race in Canada.
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Anthony Davidson was at the SkyPad to explain how Lando Norris prevailed over McLaren team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri in a ‘complex’ Hungarian Grand Prix
But he hit back impressively to win three of the four races before the summer break to close down what after Montreal had been a 22-point deficit.
On Piastri’s improved performances this year, Rosberg said: “Oscar is super strong.
“He’s surprised me because we all knew he was a great driver, but last year, Lando still had the edge.
“This year, Oscar is just incredibly solid, strong and fast.
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On The F1 Show after the Belgian GP, Nico Rosberg and Bernie Collins analysed how the title race was progressing between McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
“There’s no there’s no weaknesses there. What’s his weakness? There are no more, which is a bit scary for Lando because Lando does have weaknesses.”
Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 29-31, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime