Formula 1’s “big favourite” for the F1 2025 World title emerged in Canada, and no it wasn’t race winner George Russell or P2’s Max Verstappen. It was Oscar Piastri, who increased his lead in the championship despite being rear-ended by his team-mate Lando Norris.

That’s according to 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg.

Is there now a clear favourite for the F1 2025 World title?

As Russell, Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli battled for the podium positions at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a somewhat off-the-boil McLaren fought over fourth and fifth places with Piastri ahead of Lando Norris heading into the final laps.

Norris had the better pace of the McLaren team-mates and on lap 66 launched an attack, diving up the inside of Piastri at the Turn 10 hairpin only to run wide on exit.

That prompted a drag race between the McLaren drivers with Piastri coming out ahead, but Norris wasn’t giving up.

He closed in on his Australian counterpart, only to tag Piastri’s rear wheel, ripping the front wing off of his MCL39 before smacking into the pit wall.

McLaren team-mates: F1 2025 head-to-head stats

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Norris suffered terminal damage and was out on the spot, while Piastri came home fourth after a precautionary tyre change behind the Safety Car.

The Briton immediately held up his hand, but the damage was done – and to his own title chances as he now trails Piastri by 22 points in the Drivers’ standings.

But while the team-mates are separated by just one DNF, Rosberg, F1’s 2016 World Champion, believes Sunday’s collision was the moment that the championship race swung in Piastri’s favour.

“That, for me, was a watershed moment out there,” the former Mercedes driver told Sky F1.

“I would say it’s the first time for me, to say that Oscar Piastri is now the big favourite to win the championship this year. I’ve never said that so far.

“In fact, I was always more on Lando’s side. I was like, he’s going to clean things up and just have that little edge and speed, and he’s going to bring it home.

“But Oscar is just so strong. He’s just always delivering zero mistakes. I mean I’ve seen one mistake from him in the last two years in the most horrible conditions in Melbourne , and that’s it. He’s just always there.

F1’s newest iceman with his cool, calm responses whether he wins or loses, Rosberg says Piastri’s manager and former F1 driver Mark Webber told him the Australian driver takes it all on the chin, no matter what.

“I spoke to Mark Webber, who used to be my ex-teammate at Williams, who’s now Oscar’s manager,” he said, “and he also said whether he finishes first or fifth, in the evening it’s just having a pizza, and it’s the same state of mind.

“Of course, a nice excitement after the race, but then it’s done and we move on.

“It’s just super, incredibly solid.”

Piastri, though, isn’t getting carried away.

Speaking to the media in Montreal, he said: “I mean, there’s still so so long to go, and you know that points gap is only – if Lando wins three races, and I finish second one point in three races again- so…

“That’s not how I want to build the margin tis weekend wasn’t strong enough from myself.

“I think as a team, we also recognise it was a challenging one, and we need to be stronger. So plenty of things to work on and obviously not content finishing fourth.”

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