Guenther Steiner tells Lando Norris he ‘cannot’ win the 2025 F1 title unless McLaren do one thing

Follow us on Google Discover

Lando Norris outscored Oscar Piastri for the fourth straight round at the United States Grand Prix to reduce his deficit in the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship to only 14 points.

Yet Guenther Steiner now only sees one way for Norris to win his maiden drivers’ title in the 2025 F1 season after Red Bull rival Max Verstappen also moved to within 40 points of Piastri at COTA. Verstappen has outscored both McLaren racers over each of the past four rounds.

While Norris has reduced what was a 34-point deficit to Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix in August to 14 points, Verstappen has slashed what was a 104-point deficit to first place to 40 points. Verstappen took 25 points out of Piastri’s lead in Azerbaijan and 23 in America alone.

Verstappen won the COTA Sprint and United States GP from pole position, to extend the 28-year-old’s recent resurgence after he also won the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix. Piastri crashed into Norris in the COTA Sprint and took P5 to the Briton’s P2 in the United States GP.

Guenther Steiner doubts Lando Norris can win the 2025 F1 title unless McLaren favour him over Oscar Piastri

Now, with Verstappen a genuine threat to win the F1 drivers’ championship with five Grands Prix and two Sprints remaining this year, Steiner believes Norris can only win the 2025 title if McLaren impose team orders that favour the Briton over Piastri’s bid to win his maiden title.

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

Steiner said on The Red Flags Podcast: “Now, he cannot win it without the help of McLaren, basically a team order.”

It has been suggested over the past month that McLaren are favouring Norris over Piastri in their drivers’ title fight. The 2025 F1 season could see both papaya pilots win the title for the first time in their careers, but Norris would be a British champion in a British team if he won.

But McLaren are unlikely to impose team orders that afford Norris preferential treatment at Piastri’s expense as the latter is still in front in the standings. Piastri’s crash in the Azerbaijan GP only offset Norris’ retirement from the Canadian GP when he crashed into his teammate.

Max Verstappen can win the 2025 F1 drivers’ title even if McLaren impose team orders

Norris’ retirement from P2 in the Dutch GP due to an oil fitting, as Piastri won ahead of Red Bull rival Verstappen at Zandvoort, is proving the difference between the McLaren men. The 18 points Norris lost to Piastri in the Netherlands would put him atop the drivers’ standings.

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

Yet Steiner has already told McLaren to favour Piastri’s 2025 title bid over prioritising Norris’ hopes, given the Australian already boasts the points advantage. But even team orders may now prove insufficient in stopping Verstappen from becoming a five-time champion in 2025.

“Max can win it on his own,” he continued. “So, even if McLaren now supports Oscar, it’s not a given that he wins it, because Max is on a roll and he needs to have not even a perfect five races, because five races is still a long way to go.”

Verstappen has scored 101 points to Norris’ 57 and Piastri’s 37 since the Dutch GP, thanks to Grand Prix victories in Italy, Azerbaijan and the United States. The Red Bull ace now only has to outscore Piastri by eight points per round and Norris by 5.2 in the last five to win the title.