Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes that the 2025 Drivers’ championship battle between McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will be determined not just by speed or consistency, but by mental resilience.
McLaren currently sits comfortably at the top of the Constructors' championship with 460 points – 238 clear of Ferrari in second. At the midpoint of the season, Piastri leads the drivers’ standings with five wins and a small eight-point cushion over Norris, who has four wins to his name.
The Woking-based team has allowed both drivers to race freely, resulting in thrilling on-track action – and the occasional clash. That policy backfired in Canada when Norris collided with Piastri in an ambitious move that ended his race.
While the team’s management accepted that such an incident was likely under their open-racing approach, it inevitably added tension to an already tight championship fight.
Herbert: Mental Strength the Deciding Factor
Speaking to F1.com, Johnny Herbert praised both drivers but emphasized that their mental approach will ultimately define who comes out on top.
"Oscar’s come into F1 in a very, very mature way," Herbert said.
"He’s got himself in a good team at the right time and he’s delivering. But then I throw it on the other side, and Lando is improving… he’s probably a later developer in some ways, but he has changed over the last couple of years."
©McLaren
Herbert pointed to Norris' rollercoaster trio of races – his crash in Canada followed by wins in Austria and Britain – as an example of his evolving mentality.
"I think the incident in Canada, the positives of Austria and Silverstone… I always say it’s about capacity, and I think his brain capacity sometimes gets full up."
"There’s the baggage that comes with everything that’s going on, and I know from my own career, there are times where you’ve got to get rid of baggage that’s hanging around your neck."
The three-time Grand Prix winner believes that how each driver handles pressure, mistakes, and the constant scrutiny will be decisive.
"It’s going to be down to the mentality of both of them,” the Briton said.
“But they’re both youngish and they’re only going to get better as time goes by, like Max has done, like Lewis did, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher…
“They have that wonderful ability to find a way of moving up every time the performance of the car gets better.”
With McLaren’s car performing at its peak, the stage is set for Norris and Piastri to elevate their game.
“With all the little ups and downs they’ve had, they’re still very, very close overall,” Herbert noted. “It’ll only be one over the other come the end of the year.”
As the season progresses, the McLaren garage will be a crucible, forging not just a champion but a driver who can master their mind under pressure. For Herbert, that mental edge will crown the 2025 champion.
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