Horner doesn't see Norris as Verstappen's main challenger: 'He's very strong mentally'

17:00, 21 Apr

byNorberto Mujica

2025 was said to be Lando Norris' year, having finished runner-up to Max Verstappen in the championship in 2024 and McLaren's current hegemony in F1. However, Red Bull Racing's team principal disagrees with that notion and points to the other side of the McLaren garage, highlighting Oscar Piastri's efforts.

With three race wins in the last four, Piastri has the edge on Norris, Horner notes, in a question posed by GPblog in Jeddah after the race.

"Yeah, Oscar has won three races to Lando's one and looks like the driver in form at this junction in time. He's now the leader of the championship. Had Max won here, he would have been leading the championship. Things move around pretty quickly."

Horner Commends Piastri's Mental Strength

Horner finds the key factor that puts Piastri above Norris, whereas Oscar Piastri was able to start from the front row, pipped only by Max Verstappen, Norris saw his Q3 end prematurely after a mistake put him into the wall, resigning him to a P10 starting position.

Then, in the race, Piastri's cool-headedness helped him bide his time and wait for the race-defining penalty to do its damage, effectively handing the Australian the race lead, something Horner noticed as well. "He's very strong mentally, pace-wise. He looks very, very rounded."

This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen.