Oscar Piastri better than Lando Norris by ‘all stats and viewing’ says F1 pundit
Oscar Piastri leads Lando Norris by just nine points but one F1 pundit believes that could have been much more.
Oscar Piastri has been the better driver over Lando Norris on “all stats and viewing” according to Jolyon Palmer who said the Australian’s lead could have been as big as 61 points.
Just nine separate the McLaren duo but Piastri has been on the wrong end of some moments of fortune, leading Palmer to believe the title race is closer than it should be.
Oscar Piastri told title lead could be 61 points in Lando Norris battle
Norris went into the season having comfortably beaten his team-mate in 2024 and although the Briton started stronger, Piastri soon grew into the campaign and a hat-trick wins of moved him into the position of title favourite.
But the driver, only in his third F1 season, has not been without his moments of poor fortune. The most recent came on the last race before the summer break where Piastri opted for a two-stop while Norris’ one-stop from P3 proved to be the winning formula.
Moments like that, amongst others, have Palmer believing Piastri’s lead should be much bigger.
“What I’ve been thinking is Piastri has been the better driver,” he said on F1 Nation. “And we’re talking about the fine margins, nine points, Lando winning three of the last four.
“But on pretty much all stats and viewing, Piastri has been the better driver so far. And I look through and I think that championship lead that’s nine points, could easily be 61 points, but largely for a bit of luck.
“So I’m thinking there’s 16 points lost in Melbourne. Both McLarens go skittling off through the gravel, Oscar’s is slightly more than Lando’s and it cost Oscar on the day, 16 points.
“I’m thinking Silverstone. Tough decision that I’ve not seen penalised since or before. And it cost Oscar the win.
More on McLaren from PlanetF1
Why Oscar Piastri is clear favourite for the F1 2025 title explained by Steiner
Stella makes Lando Norris ‘driving style’ admission in title pressure response
“Imola, the timing of the safety car. Really tough decision and it’s just bit of bad luck. It cost them on the time, only six points in terms of a swing, and then you’ve got Budapest, a great win for Lando, absorbed the pressure, did what he had to do, but he did it because he had a bad start, was in a in the wrong position, and then sort of got into the right strategy that Oscar wasn’t given.
“So when you look at all those points lost, even the two points in the Miami sprint, where a safety car timing cost Oscar the win and gave it to Lando, there’s been a lot of things that have just gone towards Lando in these first 14 races.
“Oscar’s overall outqualified him by a slender margin, and I think he’s outraced him, and the gap could be so much more comfortable. But as it is, it’s nine and it’s absolutely on for anyone.”
Read next: Bold predictions as F1 2025 resumes: Hamilton engineer swap, Russell to Red Bull, Colapinto out
