Jolyon Palmer expects Oscar Piastri may ‘rue’ one thing after seeing what Lando Norris ‘eradicated’

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Oscar Piastri has been “the more complete” McLaren driver so far in the 2025 season for Jolyon Palmer, but he only leads Lando Norris by nine points in the championship.

The papaya pilots are increasingly facing a straight fight for the F1 drivers’ championship this season, as Piastri and Norris battle to hand McLaren their first title since 2008. Red Bull rival Max Verstappen goes to his home race at the Dutch Grand Prix now 97 points behind Piastri.

F1 has regrouped at Zandvoort this weekend following its summer break with just 10 rounds left to play. Only the McLaren gems have led the standings so far in the 2025 F1 season, with Norris leading through the first four rounds before Piastri took over at the Saudi Arabian GP.

The summer break came at a bad time for Norris, after the Briton won three of the final four Grands Prix prior to the shutdown. His run of form let the 25-year-old dash a 22-point deficit after the Canadian GP to nine, but Palmer thinks Piastri should be 61 points ahead of Norris.

Jolyon Palmer thinks Oscar Piastri will ‘rue’ not having a bigger points lead over Lando Norris

Palmer has also now claimed that he expects Piastri may “rue” not having a bigger lead over Norris in the drivers’ championship ahead of the Dutch GP, having seen his McLaren partner “eradicate” the mistakes that were blighting the Briton’s title hopes earlier in the campaign.

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Norris has been criticised for his mistakes unbefitting of an F1 champion this season, having left points on the table. Yet Piastri also left 16 points on the table by spinning from P2 in the Australian GP, which he finished in P9, and lost ground in Miami, Imola, Britain and Hungary.

Palmer told The BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast: “I think the fact that Norris is here, only nine points back, is a great thing for him. Because, as the two drivers on paper right now, Oscar’s definitely been the better driver, the more complete driver.

“But as the season’s going on, I think Lando’s eradicated a lot of his early mistakes. He’s definitely getting happier in the car. So, I just wonder if Oscar might kind of rue not having a bigger gap right now. Because, certainly, there’s a chance for Lando to come back.”

Lando Norris is paying the price for his more regular big mistakes compared to Oscar Piastri

Piastri was hot on Norris’ heels during the Australian GP while the McLaren drivers fought to win the first race of the 2025 season in March. But one mistake made all the difference, with the Melbourne native spinning at Turn 13, after they both ran off the track in the rain at T12.

READ MORE: Every error that cost Lando Norris points in his failed 2024 F1 title challenge

Yet it only took Piastri four Grands Prix and one F1 Sprint to destroy a 23-point deficit in the standings and lead Norris by 10, after April’s Saudi Arabian GP. Piastri’s 10-second penalty in the British GP for a safety car restart infringement this July is arguably his one mistake since.

But the 24-year-old’s controversial penalty at Silverstone allowed Norris to relish a 14-point swing, as he won the British GP for the first time. Piastri was also on the wrong side of a 14-point swing when Norris fell into the win at the Hungarian GP by using a one-stop strategy.

Piastri likely would have won at the Hungaroring on a two-stopper without Norris gambling on his strategy to try and jump Mercedes’ George Russell for third place. But the change of strategy would put Norris within nine points of Piastri, despite his earlier errors this season.

Norris called himself “clueless” after qualifying P6 in Bahrain and an “idiot” after crashing in qualifying in Saudi Arabia by trying to match Piastri’s speed through Turn 4. Norris crashed into the rear of Piastri’s car in Canada, too, but has won three of the four Grands Prix since.