Mark Webber hints at how he’s using Lewis Hamilton to help Oscar Piastri lead Lando Norris for the 2025 F1 title

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Oscar Piastri can become the 56th driver in 76 seasons to win the F1 title after leading the championship at the midway point if he sees out his slight lead over Lando Norris.

A mere eight points separate the McLaren teammates in the 2025 F1 drivers’ standings after the first 12 rounds of the season. Piastri boasts a slender lead over Norris thanks to winning five Grands Prix to the Briton’s four, as well as earning points in all 12 of the Grands Prix yet.

Norris crashing into Piastri in the Canadian Grand Prix saw the 25-year-old fail to secure any points for the first and so far only time this year. Piastri has also outscored the 24-year-old’s teammate in F1 Sprints this season with 14 points to nine, yet Norris won the Miami Sprint.

Mark Webber is using his fights with Lewis Hamilton to help Oscar Piastri beat Lando Norris

The Australian Grand Prix back in round one even remains Piastri’s only missed opportunity so far in the 2025 F1 season, after the Melbourne native recovered to P9 after spinning out of second place. Piastri having Mark Webber as his agent is also helping his title challenge.

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

Webber is eager to help Piastri become the first Australian to win the F1 drivers’ title since Alan Jones in 1980 by drawing on the 48-year-old’s own experiences in Formula 1. He took nine Grand Prix wins and 13 pole positions across 215 race starts between 2002 and 2013.

Fighting Fernando Alonso for 11 of those seasons, Lewis Hamilton for seven and Sebastian Vettel for six (including five as teammates at Red Bull) is also now helping Webber to offer Piastri advice on how his Australian compatriot can beat Norris in their 2025 F1 title battle.

“I can share my knowledge and experience with him,” Webber told Formule1.NL. “Not only because of what I saw and experienced, but also because I’ve been up close with Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

“If I see the opportunity to help Oscar with my knowledge, I will, of course… He doesn’t get carried away and he knows what his ambition is. Oscar represents the beginning of what we believe will be a long and rewarding career.”

Mark Webber was the last Australian to lead the F1 standings before Oscar Piastri

Piastri taking the lead of the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship away from Norris, who only led the way for 35 days, made him the first Australian to top the standings since Webber did so in 2010. Piastri has led the standings since he won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on April 20.

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

There was not a clear midway point in the 2010 season as it featured 19 rounds, rather than the 24 this year. Hamilton led the standings after nine rounds, while Webber was fourth and 24 points behind. But Webber won the 2010 British Grand Prix to cut his deficit to 17 points.

Were it not for Red Bull pitting Webber into traffic during the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he may even have won the title that season. Instead, Vettel jumped from third place and seven points behind Webber in second place to lift the German’s first of four consecutive F1 titles.

Now, Webber can draw on that experience to try and help ensure that Piastri does not face the same fate during his intra-McLaren fight against Norris. He also has the infamous Multi-21 incident between Webber and Vettel during the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix to reflect on.