Norris refuses to count Verstappen out of F1 2025 title battle

Lando Norris has said it would be “silly” to count out Max Verstappen from the Formula 1 world title fight despite McLaren’s current dominance in the 2025 season.

Oscar Piastri leads the drivers’ championship by three points from team-mate Norris, and McLaren has more than double the points tally of its closest rival in the constructors’ standings.

But the fight for the 2025 drivers title isn’t only between the McLaren team-mates, according to Norris

“I think mathematically, there’s still like, probably, the whole grid can win the championship at the minute,” Norris said ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

“So, if you think it’s just out of me and Oscar, then I think you’re a bit silly. I think there’s plenty of opportunities.

“Max [Verstappen] can still win. I think Ferrari, I expect them to get better through the season.”

Norris has so far picked up two wins in 2025, compared to Piastri’s four. Verstappen has also won two races and now sits in third in the standings, 25 points off Piastri at the top.

However, the Red Bull racer has been open about the struggles his team is facing in 2025. The RB21 is a handful on some tracks, and while the Dutchman raced to victory in Japan and Imola, disappointing results in Bahrain and Monaco highlight the team’s struggles to get the 2025 machine under control.

But these wobbles at Red Bull aren’t enough for Norris to count four-time champion Verstappen out of the title fight just yet.

“We’re racing Max every weekend,” the McLaren driver added. “He’s been on the podium several times. He’s won races. I mean, he beat us in Imola, fair and square because he was quicker. So, I don’t know what possibly makes you think that it’s only out of me and Oscar.”

While Norris remains aware of the threat posed by Verstappen and the battle he has on his hands against Piastri, he says that the championship fight isn’t changing the way he approaches every race weekend.

Instead, the British driver is focused on picking up more victories, regardless of his place in the standings.

“It’s a great feeling to be in the lead of the championship and to have more points than everyone,” he said. “But again, it’s not something I look at. It’s not something that changes anything I do day to day. It doesn’t change how hard I work or what I try to achieve.

“I’ll just try and win this weekend and I’ll try and win in Montreal, and I’ll try and win in Austria. It’s got nothing to do with what position I am.”