F1 2025 Title Battle Heats Up: Experts Weigh In on Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen

The 2025 Formula 1 season is reaching its climax, with a gripping three-way title battle on the horizon. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen are vying for the championship, and Sky Sports F1's Anthony Davidson has been addressing key questions about the contenders and their prospects.

The season resumes this weekend with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which marks the beginning of a thrilling finale that will take the drivers to Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. With every session live on Sky Sports F1, Davidson has been offering insights into the challenges that McLaren and Red Bull will face on the upcoming tracks with their current car packages.

Davidson notes that Brazil could be a close contest, with Max Verstappen holding an advantage, particularly in wet conditions. He also suggests that the Vegas circuit has similarities to Monza, where Red Bull impressed with a low-downforce package. However, McLaren's strength in looking after their tires in race trim could be their enemy in the cold conditions of Vegas.

On the other hand, Qatar is deemed a McLaren circuit, with its medium and high-speed corners favoring the team. Abu Dhabi is expected to be a closer contest, but it will also favor McLaren, especially in race pace. Davidson concludes that there is still a realistic chance for Max to secure pole position, which could create an epic showdown.

When asked if McLaren would back one driver over the other if it came down to the final race, Davidson believes that the team has been careful to maintain fairness between Norris and Piastri. He thinks that McLaren will let them race, similar to the Fernando Alonso-Lewis Hamilton battle when they were team-mates at McLaren.

Davidson also weighs in on the possibility of Max Verstappen in Piastri's seat this season, wondering if Lando would be one point ahead in the title fight at this stage. He acknowledges that Verstappen is a dominant driver, but it's hard to say how he would perform in a different car. Davidson concludes that Verstappen is an adaptable driver, but you just don't know until you see him in action against another A-grade driver in their team, in their equipment.