Piastri has 'scary' advantage over Norris, says Nico Rosberg

With fourteen rounds complete, just nine points separate Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The Australian currently enjoys the Championship lead, which he has held for the majority of the year.

After a costly error on home soil in round one, Piastri managed to cut Norris’ advantage and establish a significant buffer.

Of course, things changed before the summer break, with Norris claiming three wind in the last four races.

As fine margins continue to dictate this year’s title race, Nico Rosberg believes one factor could make the difference.

Piastri has “no weaknesses”, unlike Norris, argues Rosberg

When the season began, few expected Oscar Piastri to challenge Lando Norris for the title.

The consensus was that a continuation of last year’s fight between Norris and Verstappen would be the story of 2025.

Obviously, this is not what has transpired. Piastri leads the Championship after fourteen rounds, having claimed more race wins than anyone else.

This is not to say Norris is far behind, though, with the British driver reducing his teammate’s advantage from 22 points after Canada to 9 points after Hungary.

With Verstappen no longer in the hunt, this year’s title will be an all-papaya contest. Because of this, the dynamics between the McLaren duo are being heavily scrutinised.

Considering this is the first time since 2016 that teammates have fought for the title, such discussions are hardly a surprise.

Speaking of 2016, the F1 Champion from that season, Nico Rosberg, offered Sky Sports his analysis of Piastri and Norris:

“You can’t really say that Lando is a smidge quicker anymore,” he explained.

“At some point we need to stop saying that, because there’s no basis to that anymore.

“Oscar has just been extremely quick always, and I se them kind of on a par.

“The Championship is going to be decided in Lando’s head. That’s my kind of impression unfortunately. 

“It’s [a question of] how solid Lando can become? I know he’s working on it, blocking social media and all of those things…

“This year, Oscar is just incredibly solid, strong and fast.

“There’s no weaknesses there. What’s his weakness? There are no more. 

“Which is a bit scary for Lando, because Lando does have weaknesses.”

Why every race is a must-win for the McLaren duo

For obvious reasons, the impact of a DNF or major incident (such as Norris and Piastri’s Canada clash) is often discussed in the context of a title duel.

This year, like often times in the past, could be decided by one retirement from either McLaren driver.

What is often overlooked, however, is the specific dynamics of a title battle between two drivers. Obvious as it may seem, each race is of double the importance for this year’s title protagonist.

Even a 1-2 finish, an increasingly common result for McLaren, will have massive title implications.

Before Hungary, for example, Piastri had a 16-point edge over Norris. Victory at the Hungaroring would have extended this lead to 23 points – effectively giving him the buffer of a race victory.

By pulling off the one-stop and winning, Norris instead reduced the gap to 9 point.

This example should be kept in mind because, at a minimum, every Grand Prix is worth at least a 14-point swing between the papaya duo.

Heading into the next round in Zandvoort, however, both drivers will recognise the stakes of every race that remains.