Oscar Piastri’s win within the Bahrain Grand Prix made him the primary repeat winner of the 2025 Components 1 season.
It additionally pulled him into second place within the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings, simply three factors off the chief.
His teammate, Lando Norris.
The McLaren duo have been spectacular this season, with Norris taking the win on the Australian Grand Prix to open the season, and Piastri taking victories at each the Chinese language Grand Prix and now the Bahrain Grand Prix. Whereas Norris has a podium end in each grand prix this season, bringing his whole to 77 factors on the younger marketing campaign, Piastri’s pair of wins have him on 74 factors.
However to listen to the 2 drivers inform it, that is precisely the place they anticipated to be going into the season.
“I imply, I believed it began from Melbourne, to be sincere,” stated Piastri within the FIA Press Convention after the Bahrain Grand Prix, when requested if Sunday marked the “begin of the true battle” between him and Norris. “However yeah, it’s nonetheless so early. I believe in the meanwhile we’ve bought an incredible automotive beneath us. I really feel like for essentially the most half we’ve been capable of do a great job with it. I imply, I believe we’re within the positions we must be in.”
“Oscar’s put it very effectively, truthfully. I believe we knew coming into this season – us as a crew knew it earlier than the season – that we have been going to have some shut moments between us and a few good fights,” added Norris.
Each drivers sounded excited for the battle to return, whereas additionally noting that there will probably be different challengers from throughout the grid.
“I believe it’s going to be a decent battle. I believe there are going to be different contenders. What we’ve seen in the meanwhile is … We’ve not had a constant challenger week in, week out. It’s sort of been any individual completely different, which from the championship viewpoint makes life troublesome for others,” added Piastri. “However yeah, I believe it’s going to be a decent yr, positively. And I believe so long as we have now the very best automotive, it’s going to be tight between Lando and I.”
“And I’m certain we’re going to have extra later this yr, which I believe we’re each excited for,” stated Norris. “So we have now to maintain working onerous as a crew to maintain ourselves forward of the remainder. As a result of I’m certain we each desire if it’s simply me and him – between us and nobody else. As a crew, we’d desire that. It’d most likely make our lives simpler as an entire. So we’re not forgetting that the competitors is shut.
“Sure, we’ve bought the very best automotive on the grid and issues like this, however one mistake – and I paid the value yesterday. One tenth and I’d’ve been second on the grid in the present day, so it’s irritating,” continued Norris. “But it surely’s shut and it’s aggressive, and I believe that’s an incredible factor for the game. However we have now to maintain working onerous as a crew. I don’t assume we’ve ever let that thought go – with how shut among the earlier qualifying periods have been. With Max [Verstappen] on pole, with George [Russell] solely a tenth and a half off yesterday. It’s simple to not do an ideal lap after which not be on pole nonetheless. It’s not like we are able to simply cruise round and every thing’s groovy. So, we have now to maintain working onerous, and I believe we’re excited for the competitors between us.”
The closest title struggle between teammates in F1 historical past got here again in 1984 when Niki Lauda held off teammate Alain Prost for his third and remaining Drivers’ Championship by only a half-point, 72 to 71.5 factors. (The Monaco Grand Prix, run in moist circumstances, solely lasted for 31 laps, and half factors have been handed out consequently).
What crew did these two drive for?
McLaren.
May historical past repeat itself this yr?
We have no idea the reply to that query but, however McLaren’s two drivers definitely consider it’s attainable.
