Damon Hill identifies Piastri recovery key after Norris ‘found something’ in F1 title battle

Damon Hill admits that, from a “patriotic point of view”, he is rooting for his compatriot Lando Norris to win the title.

But, he concedes, it is by no means a done deal as Oscar Piastri could reverse his flagging fortunes, and one cannot write off Max Verstappen as he won’t go down without a fight.

Damon Hill reveals who he’s rooting for in F1 2025 title fight

Early championship leader Norris regained P1 in the Drivers’ standings at the Mexico City Grand Prix before racing out to a 24-point lead over Piastri with a dominant weekend in Brazil.

Norris’ hopes of winning the World title had suffered a crushing blow at the Dutch Grand Prix where an oil line failure put the Briton out of the race and dropped him 34 points behind race winner Piastri.

That, though, was the last time Piastri outscored Norris.

In the six races since, the momentum in the McLaren intra-team battle has swung in Norris’ favour, beginning in Monza when McLaren controversially ordered Piastri to give second place back to his teammate after a botched pitstop cost the Brit a position to Piastri on the track.

Scoring 115 points to Piastri’s 57 since Zandvoort, Norris has overturned his 34-point deficit to lead by 24.

Lando Norris v Oscar Piastri: McLaren head-to-head scores

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

“He’s found something, hasn’t he?” 1996 World Champion Hill told the Mirror. “And it’s been perfect timing.

“It’s come at a time when Oscar suddenly looks a bit forlorn, a bit under pressure. They’re both learning about fighting for a World Championship… It’s not the same as just driving.

“From a patriotic point of view, of course we’re rooting for Lando – keep it in the family a little bit! We’ve got a great record in this country of world champions. We always seem to be able to produce a new one. If one of us withers, then there’s another one waiting.”

But while Norris is waiting, with 83 points still in play, the title is by no means secure.

In a season in which momentum has swung from Norris to Piastri to Verstappen and back to Norris, there’s nothing to say there won’t be another momentum shift in the final three races of the championship.

And Hill reckons Piastri’s manager Mark Webber could help the Australian driver effect such a change.

“His trajectory, he was getting stronger and stronger, but you can’t ignore the fact that he’s had a bit of a blip,” he said of McLaren’s Australian driver.

“What they’re very good at doing, these young drivers, is they’re good at analysing what might be causing that and they’ll fix it. If they’re any good, they’ll find out what’s going on and get stronger. Formula 1 is about finding out what you’re made of.

“Mark is able to guide him and give him some encouragement, hopefully, on that side of things. You do need to draw on resources, as a driver. It can be quite a lonely place if you don’t have someone whose brain you can pick. You certainly can’t go around the place asking everyone, you have to have trusted advisors.”

It is, however, not yet – and perhaps it will never be – a McLaren-only title fight as reigning World Champion Verstappen is still in the running.

Despite racing from the pit lane to P3 in the Brazilian Grand Prix, the 28-year-old is now 49 points behind Norris which is a deficit that most drivers would not be able to overcome in three grand prix weekends.

Max Verstappen, though, isn’t most drivers.

“Nobody’s counting him out because they’ve seen what he’s done before,” declared Hill.

“Just when you think he’s on the floor and the count’s gone to nine, he jumps up and delivers the knockout blow. He will not give up while there’s a sliver of a chance and he’ll be a factor in races to come.”

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