Lando Norris knows the simple reason he’s ahead of Oscar Piastri before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Lando Norris leads McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by 16 points heading into the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Max Verstappen, 12 adrift of Norris, separates the two.

Even if Piastri wins the race, then Norris only needs to finish inside the top five to seal the crown. That makes the Australian a firm outsider.

When he won the Dutch GP just after the summer break and Norris retired with a mechanical issue, Piastri was 34 points clear and in control. That remains his most recent victory.

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In fact, Piastri went six races (eight including Sprints) without a podium finish between Azerbaijan and Las Vegas. He finally ended that run in Qatar but it may be too late, particularly after McLaren’s strategic mishap cost him maximum points.

Lando Norris says he’s got better – not worse – as 2025 season has progressed

During Piastri’s slump, Norris has arguably put together his finest run of form as an F1 driver. Over the four weekends in the Americas, he notched four pole positions and three victories.

Had the two McLaren drivers not been disqualified in Vegas for excessive plank wear, he would have been crowned as the world champion in Qatar.

Speaking to The Athletic in Vegas, Norris said: “I feel like I’ve gotten better with time, not worse, like you might expect for some people.”

Norris was somewhat inconsistent at the start of the season. He missed out on the top five in three of the first six qualifying sessions and crashed out during Q3 in Saudi Arabia.

Perhaps the lowest point of his season was the Canadian GP, when he tagged Piastri and found the barriers. But since then, he has outscored the sister car by 38 points and taken five of McLaren’s seven Grand Prix wins.

‘I’m pretending I’m still second,’ Lando Norris says

Ultimately, this is the biggest difference between Norris and Piastri. One driver peaked at the right time while another lost his way in a critical phase of the season.

McLaren blame Piastri’s driving style for his drop-off, with the 24-year-old still unsuited to low-grip circuits. They saw his improvement in Qatar as confirmation of this theory.

Juan Pablo Montoya believes McLaren’s upgrades have helped Norris feel more comfortable, but says this was a happy coincidence for the British driver rather than a deliberate tactic from the team.

Even though he took the lead in Mexico, Norris is still trying to maintain the mentality of a driver trying to catch up.

“I’m trying to treat it like I’m not fighting for a championship,” he said. “That I’m like, this weekend is just another race, almost trying to pretend that I’m still second in the championship and trying to catch up to first. Because I think I understand how easily it can affect you.”