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Lando Norris believes it would be premature to rule out Max Verstappen and Red Bull as title contenders. Speaking in a press conference ahead of the 2025 Spanish GP, the McLaren driver stated that neither he nor his teammate, Oscar Piastri, should be considered the only contenders for the Drivers’ Championship, despite McLaren’s dominance in the Constructors’ standings.
Piastri currently leads the Drivers’ Championship with 161 points, three ahead of Norris and 25 ahead of Verstappen. While the lead in the Drivers’ Championship is just one race win, McLaren enjoys a significant advantage over Mercedes and Red Bull in the Constructors’ standings.
Norris insisted that it would be wrong to dismiss Verstappen’s chances this early in the season. He believes the title battle is not limited to just himself and his teammate. The Briton expects the Dutchman and the Ferrari drivers to also factor into the championship fight.
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The 25-year-old pointed out that both McLaren drivers are racing each weekend against a four-time world champion who continues to win races and secure podiums. Therefore, Norris refused to rule Verstappen out of the 2025 title race, adding that, at this stage, the entire grid still has a mathematical chance of winning the championship.
On whether the Dutchman could be counted out of the championship, Lando Norris said (via Motorsport):
“I think mathematically, there's still like, probably, the whole grid can win the championship at the minute. So, if you think it's just out of me and Oscar, then I think you're a bit silly. I think there's plenty of opportunities. Max [Verstappen] can still win. I think Ferrari, I expect them to get better through the season.”
“We're racing Max every weekend. He's been on the podium several times. He's won races. I mean, he beat us in Imola, fair and square because he was quicker. So, I don't know what possibly makes you think that it's only out of me and Oscar,” Lando Norris added.
Lando Norris reckons that individual performance remains his focus more than the championship
Lando Norris also shared that his primary focus is on improving his performance rather than getting caught up in the championship standings. He further stated that being in the title fight doesn’t change his approach to race weekends or his hard work. Looking ahead, the McLaren driver expressed hope of securing wins in Austria and Montreal, adding that he will target victory at both venues.
Highlighting his current focus amid the championship battle, Norris said:
“It's a great feeling to be in the lead of the championship and to have more points than everyone. But again, it's not something I look at. It's not something that changes anything I do day to day. It doesn't change how hard I work or what I try to achieve. I’ll just try and win this weekend and I'll try and win in Montreal, and I'll try and win in Austria. It's got nothing to do with what position I am.”
Lando Norris currently sits just three points behind his teammate Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ championship. Max Verstappen follows in third, trailing Norris by 22.
In the Constructors’ standings, McLaren leads the way with a dominant total of 319 points, a staggering 172-point advantage over the rest of the field. Mercedes sits second with 147 points, followed closely by Red Bull with 143, and Ferrari in fourth with 142.
