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Lando Norris’ manager has privately revealed what’s behind his title comeback against Oscar Piastri

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Lando Norris only took six rounds to overturn his largest deficit to Oscar Piastri in the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship and open his biggest lead atop the standings this year.

The Briton had faced a 34-point deficit to his McLaren teammate atop the standings after he retired from the Dutch Grand Prix in round 15 at the end of August. But Norris now boasts a 24-point lead over the Australian after he won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix during round 21/24.

Norris has outscored Piastri during all six rounds since the Dutch GP, but he especially took a leap through the past three in the United States, Mexico and Brazil to punish his teammate’s woe. Piastri still led Norris by 22 points before the F1 Sprint during round 19 in Austin, Texas.

Brazil, especially, might yet go down as the round that decided the F1 drivers’ championship fight between Norris, Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. After claiming pole position for both, Norris won the Sao Paulo Sprint as Piastri crashed and the Grand Prix as Piastri got P5.

McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates after winning the 2025 F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Lando Norris’ manager cites his improved life decisions for his 2025 F1 title fight comeback

Norris has taken full advantage of his teammate suffering a wobble, as Piastri crashed out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and finished P5 in the US, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. Norris irked Piastri by making contact in the Singapore Grand Prix, too, as they came home in P3 and P4.

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

ROUNDCHAMPIONSHIP LEADERMARGIN AT MCLAREN
Australian GPNorris (25 points)23 points over Piastri
Chinese GPNorris (44 points)10 points over Piastri
Japanese GPNorris (62 points)13 points over Piastri
Bahrain GPNorris (77 points)3 points over Piastri
Saudi Arabian GPPiastri (99 points)10 points over Norris
Miami GPPiastri (131 points)16 points over Norris
Emilia Romagna GPPiastri (146 points)13 points over Norris
Monaco GPPiastri (161 points)3 points over Norris
Spanish GPPiastri (186 points)10 points over Norris
Canadian GPPiastri (198 points)22 points over Norris
Austrian GPPiastri (216 points)15 points over Norris
British GPPiastri (234 points)8 points over Norris
Belgian GPPiastri (266 points)16 points over Norris
Hungarian GPPiastri (284 points)9 points over Norris
Dutch GPPiastri (309 points)34 points over Norris
Italian GPPiastri (324 points)31 points over Norris
Azerbaijan GPPiastri (324 points)25 points over Norris
Singapore GPPiastri (336 points)22 points over Norris
United States GPPiastri (346 points)14 points over Norris
Mexico City GPNorris (357 points)1 point over Piastri
Sao Paulo GPNorris (390 points)24 points over Piastri
Las Vegas GPNorris (390 points)24 points over Piastri
Qatar GPNorris (308 points)16 points over Piastri
2025 F1 drivers’ championship momentum between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris

F1 photographer and paddock insider Kym Ilmann also spoke to Norris’ manager at the Sao Paulo GP about the 25-year-old’s comeback in the title fight. His representative cites Norris’ improved life decisions as the key to his recent success and comeback in the F1 title fight.

“One of the things that came out of that chat was that Lando is making better decisions in his life and across motorsport,” Illman said on his YouTube channel after the Sao Paulo GP. “He seems to be a lot happier and more grounded at the present moment.”

Some F1 fans even booed images of Lando Norris shown on big screens in Brazil

While Norris may be happier in himself, the Sao Paulo GP crowd showed that some fans are not happy with McLaren as the Briton was booed on the back of winning the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Some fans at Interlagos even booed images of Norris shown on the big screens.

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

Position Drivers' Championship Points
1

Lando Norris

390
2

Oscar Piastri

366
3

Max Verstappen

341

Illman added: “There are many Lando fans who were thrilled. I don’t think too many of them were at the Brazilian GP, though, because there were certainly boos for Lando, both on the podium like in Mexico, but also when the drivers were announced in the pre-race video.

“When his name came up, [there were] once again big boos. He went on to talk about it later, saying he doesn’t take much notice of what’s going on out there with the fans. The negative stuff, he’s put that behind him. He’s a lot stronger mentally now.”

It is said that Norris is privately getting fed up with fans booing him, having also drawn a raft of jeers when he won the Mexico City Grand Prix. The theory goes that fans are voicing their ongoing frustration after McLaren told Piastri to give Norris back P2 in the Italian Grand Prix.

At least publicly, Norris brushed off the boos he received in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, as he took the F1 drivers’ championship lead back off Piastri in Mexico and pulled clear in Brazil. It will no doubt test his newfound joy if the jeers persist during the final three rounds of 2025.