Mika Hakkinen thinks Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are in a ‘nightmare’ situation at McLaren

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Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are set to play out a tense championship fight in the final four races of the 2025 season.

McLaren are in a good position to achieve their first drivers’ title since 2008, with Norris leading Piastri by just one point heading into the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. But the team are facing pressure from Max Verstappen, who has won three of the last five races and sits 36 points behind Norris.

Piastri looked to be in control of the championship after his win at Zandvoort. However, he has only been on the podium once since then. Damon Hill thinks Piastri’s mentality has changed for the worse after he lost the lead of the standings in Mexico City.

Meanwhile, Johnny Herbert saw Norris mentally stronger than ever as he took a dominant victory from pole position. He has beaten his teammate in each of the last five races as he reignites his title charge.

With just one point separating the McLaren drivers, the team will want to wrap up the championship and in the fairest way possible, given Norris and Piastri are on equal terms.

Mika Hakkinen says Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are in a ‘nightmare’ situation in 2025 title fight

However, former McLaren F1 driver and two-time champion Mika Hakkinen says the team are in a ‘nightmare’ situation. The Finn says it will be interesting to see how Zak Brown and Andrea Stella will manage their drivers in the final four races.

“So, of course, now going towards the end of the season, Zak Brown, Andrea [Stella], incredible, they have to work so close with the drivers, that they find a beautiful harmony towards the end of the season,” said Hakkinen on the High Performance podcast.

“This is racing and one of these drivers, they can win a championship. It’s a nightmare. It’s an absolutely horrible situation in such a team.

“But you know, I don’t mean negatively. I just mean it is what it is, and this is like a human test of everybody, how they’re able to manage the harmony that way.

“OK, there has to be this agreement, what the drivers and the management have to do. Yeah, nobody don’t just walk past each other like this. They always stop and they discuss how we can do it better.

“It’s a beautiful team. You want this season to end up in a perfect way, and that’s why I think Lando is already quite experienced about Formula 1, Oscar is getting there. So I believe that they will find ways to end the season in a good way.”

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

Lando Norris has now established an advantage over Oscar Piastri in the 2025 title fight

The championship battle is far from over, with 116 points still up for grabs in 2025. However, it is clear that Norris has gained the momentum over his title rivals in recent races.

His newfound calmness behind the wheel and in the paddock has given him the edge over Piastri and Verstappen. Meanwhile, Norris’ teammate is beginning to struggle with the pressure.

Juan Pablo Montoya says the MCL39 is more suited to Norris now, as he can extract more from the car with his driving style. Piastri is losing time, especially on the low-grip circuits, as he finished over 40 seconds behind his teammate in Mexico.

Ralf Schumacher told Piastri to stop worrying about ‘rumours’ of favouritism at McLaren, with many believing that Norris is getting preferential treatment. He cannot afford to be distracted in his bid to claim back the lead of the championship.