30/11/2025

theSun on Sunday NOV 30, 2025

SPORTS 12

No mind games Norris aims to win F1 title fair and square

LANDO NORRIS wants to win the Formula One world championship fair and square, without mind games. The Briton, 24 points clear of Australian Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen, says he also intends to stay on good terms with his McLaren teammate despite there being so much at stake. “Some people choose to be a dick and therefore things go wrong, and things go wrong for the team,” the 26-year-old told British reporters in Qatar ahead today’s race that could secure him the title with a race to spare. “If I want to act like other people have done in the past, it’s quite easy… I don’t want to, that’s not me, I don’t enjoy doing that. “That’s also not how I want to

Norris said he had also become much better at dealing with adversity, and the haters who booed him at races, and stronger for it. “I know I’m fighting equally with my teammate even though everyone says it’s not the case,” he said. I’m very happy that I’m doing an incredibly good job. I feel like I’ve stepped up when it counts, when I’ve needed to. “Max used to be the biggest guy that got boos. Lewis (Hamilton) several years ago, all he used to do was get booed. Hopefully now it’s my time because that’s normally a good thing. “I know I’ve just been doing a very good job. I’ve been doing a better job than everyone else and I’m very happy with that.” – Reuters

chief executive Zak Brown likening the Dutch driver to a horror movie villain who keeps coming back every time the danger appears over. Norris, who can become Britain’s 11th world champion, said he did not want any favours or expect Piastri to play a supporting role. “I’m racing against Oscar. How on earth can you ask a guy who’s fighting for a world championship to do that? I think it’s pretty stupid,” he said.

through a dip in form and come back from 34 points down to power ahead at just the right time. He has been openly self critical at times, with some accusing him of being too emotionally vulnerable for his own good, but he has also shown considerable inner strength and determination to get on top of his weaknesses. The McLaren drivers remain free to race, despite Verstappen looming large – with McLaren

try and win, or win a championship or win a race. You have to be overly selfish for that and not care about the people you work with but I care about the people I work with.” He and Piastri have both won seven races this season but the Australian’s form has tailed off dramatically since the end of August when he last won and was 104 points clear of Verstappen and leading the championship. Norris has meanwhile gone

Max Verstappen (centre) celebrates after winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix – REUTERPIC

How Verstappen clawed back 104-point deficit in F1 title race

BY KIERAN JACKSON

MEXICO GRAND PRIX NORRIS 1ST, VERSTAPPEN 3RD, PIASTRI 5TH This was the race that triggered Norris’s rejuvenated run: a well-polished pole position was followed by a supreme race to the chequered flag, while Verstappen stood on the podium. Piastri, starting down in eighth, finished fifth – and had lost his championship lead. Verstappen’s gap to Piastri: 35 points SPRINT: NORRIS 1ST, VERSTAPPEN 4TH, PIASTRI DNF Interlagos is where the wheels really came off for Piastri. A slide off the wet circuit into the wall saw him suffer another point-less sprint race, while a 10-second time penalty in the grand prix demoted him down the leaderboard. All in all, it was a nightmare. Norris, meanwhile, executed his own perfect weekend, stretching his championship lead to 24 points. Verstappen recovered from a pit-lane start to finish ahead of Piastri on the podium, which told its own story. Verstappen’s gap to Piastri: 25 points A grand prix that concluded with Norris having one hand on the championship trophy was turned on its head a few hours later, with news of McLaren’s disastrous double disqualification. From a position of looking certain to finish third in the standings, Verstappen is now firmly back in the hunt, and level with Piastri with two rounds to go. Both trail Norris by 24 points, with 58 left to play for. Verstappen’s gap to Piastri: LEVEL SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX NORRIS 1ST, VERSTAPPEN 3RD, PIASTRI 5TH LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX VERSTAPPEN 1ST, NORRIS AND PIASTRI DSQ

VERSTAPPEN 1ST, NORRIS 7TH , PIASTRI DNF This is where Piastri’s collapse started. A weekend to forget, with a crash in qualifying, a false start, and then a needless crash into the barrier on lap one. Norris seemed unable to capitalise with only six points made up on the Australian. Verstappen, meanwhile, oozed composure out in front once again. Verstappen’s gap to Piastri: 69 points The first audible indications of exasperation from the usually unflappable Piastri. A brief clash at the start between the two McLaren drivers – in an aggressive move that Norris, from behind, needed to go for – saw the Briton exit turn three in front. No stewards’ interference and, more pertinently, no interference from the team, despite Piastri’s protestations. Another significant point-swing against the Australian, on a weekend where McLaren sealed the constructors’ championship. Verstappen’s gap to Piastri: 63 points SPRINT: VERSTAPPEN 1ST, NORRIS AND PIASTRI DNF Verstappen’s maximum point-scoring weekend (and a first admission that the title charge was on) was boosted further by the McLarens colliding once again; this time, the start of the sprint race saw the pair clash at turn one, with both forced to retire. Norris recovered well in the grand prix to grasp second place ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Piastri in no man’s land in fifth. Verstappen’s gap to Piastri: 40 points SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX VERSTAPPEN 2ND, NORRIS 3RD, PIASTRI 4TH US GRAND PRIX VERSTAPPEN 1ST, NORRIS 2ND, PIASTRI 5TH

IT had all looked so rosy for McLaren. When F1 returned after the customary summer break, the papaya-clad team continued where they’d left off, claiming a one two finish at Max Verstappen’s home race, the Dutch Grand Prix. At that stage, it was considered a decisive day in the world championship. Oscar Piastri took a 34-point lead over Lando Norris after the Briton’s unfortunate mechanical breakdown, and, in what increasingly seemed like a two-way battle, was 104 points clear of Verstappen. Just seven races and three months on, in an inconceivable turn of events, Verstappen is back level pegging with the Australian and just 24 off Norris with two rounds remaining. With all eyes on Qatar today, here’s a race-by-race breakdown of Verstappen’s comeback and why the momentum is fully with the Dutchman as the 2025 season concludes. In a race that saw the first signs of Red Bull’s pace upturn, Verstappen cruised to a dominant victory from pole position before the dramatic turn of events behind him, with McLaren ordering Piastri to cede second place to Norris after a botched pit-stop. Remarkably, this third place finish was Piastri’s last podium. Still, a Verstappen comeback looked far-fetched. Verstappen’s gap to Piastri: 94 points ITALIAN GRAND PRIX VERSTAPPEN 1ST, NORRIS 2ND, PIASTRI 3RD

AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX