Three F1 stars forecast that Piastri will win the title in 2025.

      "He’s also an extremely quick learner."

      Three former Formula 1 drivers concur that Oscar Piastri has emerged as the clear frontrunner for the 2025 world championship. As Red Bull and their driver begin to recognize that Max Verstappen overcoming the dominant McLarens is becoming unlikely, the rivalry is shifting towards a clear Piastri versus Lando Norris dynamic. Christian Klien, a former driver for Jaguar and Red Bull, expresses admiration for 24-year-old Piastri’s courage and speed this season.

      "We must remember that Piastri is still only in his third season in Formula 1," he stated, as quoted by motorsport-total.com. "Yet he is showing extraordinary composure. He’s also an extremely quick learner, which is evident when you compare him to Norris. Lando is a remarkably fast driver, but under Piastri's pressure, he is starting to crumble."

      In an interview with Bild newspaper, another ex-F1 driver, David Coulthard, was asked whether he shares the sentiment that Piastri and Verstappen appear similar – cold and ruthless in contrast to the more amiable Norris. "Lando took a lesson from last year’s championship fight," the Scot responded. "I believe he has become mentally stronger. There’s no doubt that he is fast; the stopwatch confirms it. However, the mental aspect is a continuous discussion for him, as he is quite open about it. Those who are open share more questions. Oscar, on the other hand, remains silent like Kimi Raikkonen and Mika Hakkinen."

      Coulthard, however, disagrees with the German publication regarding a potential three-way contest among Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen for 2025. "I don’t possess a crystal ball," he remarked, "but I think Max has viewed it as a one-on-one contest since the first corner in Saudi Arabia. When Max attempted to overtake Oscar on the outside—as he did often last year with Lando—Norris stood his ground with composure. Oscar conveyed to Max, 'I’m not Lando, you know.' From that point onward, Max understood it would be a 50-50 battle."

      Meanwhile, Ralf Schumacher believes that McLaren will soon have to acknowledge that their strict policy of driver equality won’t lead to them clinching the 2025 drivers’ title. "I’d prefer to wait a bit longer," he told Sky Deutschland, "but I think Piastri has consistently performed his best—except in Monaco, where a bit more was likely expected of him. However, I believe the championship will be resolved internally before the summer break. If Norris continues to lag behind Piastri and Max consistently pressures them, McLaren will eventually need to make a decision and focus on one of them. I think it will happen soon since they don’t want to miss out on the driver’s title again – that would be shocking for McLaren this year. The constructors’ title seems secure, so now it’s purely about the drivers."