Ted Kravitz suspects 129-race driver has been overlooked for F1 title, he could score a podium in ‘every race’

Lando Norris affirmed his status as the favourite for the 2025 Formula 1 world championship at the Australian Grand Prix last weekend. Norris converted pole position to victory in authoritative fashion amid the chaos.

‘Everybody’ in F1 thought McLaren were fastest prior to Melbourne, and much as they tried to play down the hype, qualifying showcased the full extent of their advantage. Norris edged Oscar Piastri in a front-row lock-out, with reigning champion Max Verstappen four-tenths back.

Norris didn’t want it to rain during the race, but he held his own on a slippery track that caught out several competitors. There was one off on the slicks at the beginning of a downpour, but he avoided the race-ruining spin that befell Piastri.

The Englishman also held off a late charge from Verstappen and nailed the start. McLaren’s communication and race strategy were flawless too.

Thus, both driver and team excelled in all of the areas that cost them last year. While the winning margin was only nine-tenths of a second, it was an ominous statement.

Ted Kravitz believes George Russell can win the 2025 F1 title

Norris and Verstappen were joined on the podium by Mercedes driver George Russell. Russell had qualified fourth and he held position until Piastri’s spin promoted him into the podium places.

The former Williams driver enjoyed perhaps his best F1 season to date in 2024, thrashing Lewis Hamilton in qualifying and consistently extracting the maximum from his Mercedes car. This was another performance where nothing was left on the table.

The Silver Arrows appear to have made a step over the winter, with debutant Kimi Antonelli charging from 16th to fourth in the other car. Speaking on Sky Sports’ F1 Show, Ted Kravitz suggested Russell could repeat his podium finish at every single race this season.

Kravitz doesn’t foresee Norris enjoying the kind of dominance that would make the title a foregone conclusion. Both he and Russell have now started 129 races after breaking into the sport in 2019.

“I’m not sure whether he’s underrated or not,” Kravitz said. “He was third, stayed third, got third, didn’t make any mistakes. Mercedes got their pit-stop times pretty much spot on. The change to slicks was right, the change on the mythical lap 44.

“A very solid podium. Do we think George is going to be in with a chance at the championship? If you score a podium in every race, as it looked like Mercedes were quite comfortable in doing, then that automatically puts you in some kind of contention?

“It depends if Lando wins if every other race, but that doesn’t normally happen. But still, if George finishes on the podium every race, he could be a championship contender, definitely.”

Helmut Marko has already explained why George Russell and Mercedes won’t win F1 title

Russell has already talked up McLaren’s superiority, playing down his own title chances in the process. He fears the gap between first and second is as big as it’s been at any point in the ground-effect era.

The sample size is still too small to cast a judgement on Mercedes. The wet conditions at Albert Park may also have obscured the true long run pace of the frontrunners.

Indeed, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko says Mercedes have tyre-wear problems. They could be exposed in a more conventional Grand Prix.

What’s more, Toto Wolff is wary of Ferrari improving after their lacklustre Australia showing. That could bump Russell out of the top three.