Norris shuts down ‘silly’ two-horse title talk: ‘Max is still in it’

Monaco Grand Prix winner Lando Norris has rubbished “silly” suggestions that the 2025 Formula 1 title battle is simply a McLaren civil war between himself and teammate Oscar Piastri – insisting Max Verstappen remains very much in the hunt.

Despite McLaren’s red-hot form and its drivers sitting first and second in the standings – with Piastri leading Norris by just three points – the Briton isn’t entertaining the notion of a two-horse race, especially with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari still lurking.

The Briton’s focus is to keep on winning, no matter who is in the rearview mirror.

“I think mathematically, there's still like, probably, the whole grid can win the championship at the minute,” Norris said, speaking ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

“So, if you think it's just out of me and Oscar, then I think you're a bit silly. I think there's plenty of opportunities.

“Max [Verstappen] can still win. I think Ferrari, I expect them to get better through the season.”

Verstappen: Still a Force to Reckon With

While Verstappen and Red Bull haven’t quite matched their dominant form of years past, the Dutchman has still managed two wins this season — including a hard-fought victory at Imola. He currently sits third in the drivers’ standings, 25 points behind Piastri.

Red Bull has admitted to struggles with the RB21, particularly on lower-speed tracks like Monaco, but Norris isn’t buying into the notion that the reigning champion may struggle to keep up.

“We're racing Max every weekend,” Norris said. “He's been on the podium several times. He's won races. I mean, he beat us in Imola, fair and square because he was quicker.

“So, I don't know what possibly makes you think that it's only out of me and Oscar.”

Eyes on the Road, Not the Scoreboard

Despite sitting within touching distance of the championship lead, Norris insists he’s not getting distracted by the standings. The McLaren driver says his mindset remains rooted in performance, not points.

• Read also: Why Piastri thinks he’s as ruthless as Verstappen – with a shift

“It's a great feeling to be in the lead of the championship and to have more points than everyone,” he said.

“But again, it's not something I look at. It's not something that changes anything I do day to day. It doesn't change how hard I work or what I try to achieve.

“I’ll just try and win this weekend and I'll try and win in Montreal, and I'll try and win in Austria. It's got nothing to do with what position I am.”

With Piastri and Norris now both multiple-time winners in 2025 and Verstappen refusing to let go of his title credentials, the season continues to build toward a fierce – and far from decided – showdown.

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