Alan Jones hails how Oscar Piastri is acting ‘smarter’ than Lando Norris amid their F1 title fight

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Lando Norris will come out of the summer break at this week’s 2025 Dutch Grand Prix looking to maintain his momentum against Oscar Piastri in their F1 drivers’ title fight.

The McLaren duo hit the summer shutdown only nine points apart atop the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship after the first 14 out of the scheduled 24 rounds. Norris also won three of the final four rounds before the break to reduce his deficit to Piastri from a term-high 22 points.

Norris trailed Piastri by his biggest margin so far in the 2025 F1 season after the papaya pals came together during the Canadian Grand Prix. McLaren saw their stars collide when Norris retired after driving into Piastri’s car in Canada, for his only failure to score a point this term.

Victories in Austria, Great Britain and Hungary saw Norris respond before the break. But the Briton continues to trail Piastri, after the Australian won in Belgium and led McLaren’s quest in the Sprint at Spa. Now, Piastri will bid to respond when the season resumes at Zandvoort.

Alan Jones thinks Oscar Piastri is ‘smarter’ than Lando Norris at McLaren’s ‘politics’

Piastri can become only the third Australian driver to win a Formula 1 championship in 2025 if the Melbourne native sees out his lead over Norris. The 24-year-old would also be the first Australian to win a title since Alan Jones sealed the 1980 championship, driving for Williams.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

Jones feels his compatriot may have an edge in the 2025 title fight, too, as Piastri has shown himself to be “smarter” than Norris at dealing with the “politics” in play at McLaren thus far. The Woking natives are looking to win their first drivers’ title since Lewis Hamilton’s in 2008.

Jones told sport.de: “Perhaps he is smarter in the sense that he stays on his side of the garage. He is not involved in politics [and] he is a man of few words. Perhaps he is acting more psychologically astutely.”

Additionally, Jones has doubled down on his criticism of Norris’ “weak” mentality, which the 1980 F1 champion feels gives Piastri “an advantage”. Back in April, Jones criticised Norris for being “weak” mentally by dwelling on his mistakes, which the Australian called “nonsense”.

McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are free to race as they fight for the title

Jones does not specify what “politics” he is referring to, with McLaren eager to avoid issuing team orders that favour Piastri or Norris while they can both mathematically win the drivers’ title this term. McLaren are even letting their drivers sort the title fight between themselves.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

As long as they do not risk a collision, like when Piastri nearly took Norris out in the Austrian Grand Prix when he locked up at Turn 4, then McLaren will let them race. Piastri almost took Norris out in the Hungarian Grand Prix, as well, when he locked up eyeing an overtake at T1.

The papaya pals are also free to attempt alternate strategies, even if it may disadvantage the other. Norris beat Piastri to win the Hungarian GP on a one-stopper, compared to the latter’s two-stopper. But Piastri nursed his medium tyres to win the Belgian GP over Norris on hards.