The battle between Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri is brewing nicely ahead of a fascinating 2025 Formula 1 championship battle.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was just the tip of the iceberg in what could end up being a feisty exchange for the ages.
Verstappen once again showed that he doesn’t back down, while Piastri proved that he might be the biggest threat to his fifth consecutive drivers’ championship attempt.
Red Bull need to find a more consistent baseline to work from, otherwise their inconsistencies might hand McLaren the title anyway.
Verstappen’s ‘not normal’ relationship at Red Bull with Gianpiero Lambiase may be giving him an advantage so far, but there’s only so much they can do with inferior machinery.
Martin Brundle spotted a first-time mistake from Verstappen at Jeddah and it may have been brought about by the new situation he is in. More risks may be required to make up for the pace deficit.
READ MORE: Max Verstappen faced ‘tricky’ Saudi Arabian Grand Prix situation says Marc Priestley after studying onboard footage
Christian Danner predicts ‘crucial’ difference Max Verstappen will face when battling Oscar Piastri
Piastri is cut from a very different cloth than teammate Lando Norris, who has a lot more experience and has been with McLaren for six years.
On track, Piastri appears to be more aggressive and decisive when battling his rivals, while Norris appears to surrender a little more easily.
Norris is making mistakes against Piastri because he is putting too much pressure on himself. That also hands Verstappen an advantage too.
It’s why fighting Piastri is a very different challenge for the reigning champion currently. Eventually, Christian Danner believes they may clash on track.
“Yes of course, that is the crucial question,” he said. “I thought the same thing, things can’t go on for much longer. I think that will be resolved because Red Bull’s form in inconsistent and Piastri is very, very cool.
“It’s not someone who’s just keeping it clean for the sake of keeping it clean, he already knows how to position himself and in the meantime, Verstappen has also noticed that it’s someone else sitting in the McLaren, not Lando Norris, with whom I can or could play a bit of cat and mouse.”
READ MORE: Helmut Marko explains why Lando Norris crash ‘irritated’ Red Bull in Saudi Arabia Grand Prix qualifying
Who is the favourite for the 2025 Formula 1 title currently?
Tom Kristensen has seen a title-winning change in Piastri that could end up being the defining difference in 2025.
The Dane sees more confidence from the 24-year-old, which is allowing him to express himself on the track more.
Now in his third full-time season, his understanding of the Pirelli tyres has also developed a lot too. He’s in a far better position to be consistent in long runs.
These factors combine with him being the championship leader to make him the current favourite. Norris bouncing back quickly or Red Bull improvements could tilt the fragile situation in another direction, though.
