Just three points separate Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris after one-third of the brand in the 2025 Formula One season, but Max Verstappen is still at a touching distance from the McLaren par.
Piastri is three points ahead of Norris with Verstappen 25 points behind the Australian who enters this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Traditionally, a car that is fast around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is fast on most tracks on the calendar, but a technical shutdown on flexi wings will also add the intrigues around McLaren’s pace advantage over the field and whether it is back.
McLaren has a huge 152-point lead over Mercedes in the designer’s championship and is 156 points ahead of Red Bull.
Their evenly matched driver pairing means that Norris and Piastri have taken points away from each other, but in the driver’s championship, while Verstappen has not had to worry about his teammate and maximized most of his results.
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McLaren CEO Zak Brown insists that the team does not have to switch to a one-car team, as both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri Challenge for WDC
Although McLaren currently has a slight pace advantage over the field, it can quickly change through upgrades from their rivals and understanding of the cars.
This weekend in Spain is introduced a new load test on Front Wings, as Red Bull Boss Christian Horner says will have an “influence”.
Whether it negatively affects McLaren is still to see, but if it does, and Verstappen can regularly challenge for victories at direct pace, will Zak Brown and Andrea Stella regret that he does not have a number a driver?
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Bernie Collins explains more about the new front wing experiments introduced to the Spanish Grand Prix and how it could shake up the season
No meaning in disturbing a driver
Talking about The F1 showAt Sky Sports F1’s David Croft pointed out that it would only lead to Norris or Piastri to have a direct cord driver in McLaren.
“The massive Gap McLaren has put in bed debate that they need a number one and number two driver,” Croft said.
“McLaren says they ‘will pursue the best interests of the team while retaining the driver’s interest.’
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McLaren’s Lando Norris wins at Monaco Grand Prix and cuts Oscar Piastri’s lead in the driver’s championship for only three points
“They make the points they need for the constructors and let the drivers scrap it out. We’re in a mega season.
“The team wants to win the constructor’s championship, not? The team will not sacrifice a driver when both can win a driver’s championship while they can easily win a designer championship. There is no sense in doing it because all you want to do is speed up the end of the door to either Lando or Oscar.”
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McLarens Lando Norris was in ecstasy after winning Monaco for the first time in his career
What if Verstappen is still in the title match in the second half of the season?
Verstappen has won two of the eight F1 races, in Suzuka and Imola, but only by the latter has Red Bull undoubtedly had a stronger car than McLaren.
Sky Sports F1Simon Lazenby did not quite agree with Croft and believes that McLaren may need to support the leading driver on the position if Verstappen stays at a moving distance later in the season.
“If it comes down on it, the drivers’ Spanish GP: Have McLaren built a big enough championship lead over Max Verstappen before rule change? | F1 News is the one they want now, ”he said.
“Let’s say that one of the drivers gets 25 or 30 points ahead, but Max is hot on the heels they will not put all their eggs in the basket to the one who leads [the championship]. Will they actually not make a Monaco Grand Prix [strategy] And use the other driver as a buffer? “
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Lando Norris just comes past teammate Oscar Piastri to take number two under Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Sky Sports F1’s Bernie Collins added: “If they come to a point where they go down to each other and therefore risk the constructor’s championship, that’s the point where they will say ‘enough is enough’.
“For now, when they fight clean and both get good points in the designer’s championship, there will be a point where there is math that is done, and at that time there is even less need to tell them to keep a station.
“Zak wants it all. One-two in the drivers and winning the constructors so he will make his drivers as happy as he can to make it happen.”
Sky Sports F1’s Spanish Grand Prix plan
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At the forefront of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix we look back at some of the most dramatic moments from previous races at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Thursday 29 May
14:00: Driver ‘press conference
Friday 30. May
8.50: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12:00 pm: Spanish GP -Practly one (Session starts at 12.30pm)
At. 13.55: F3 qualification
14.50: F2 qualification
15.35: Spanish GP -Practly two (Session starts at 4 pm)
17.15: The F1 Show
Saturday 31 May
9am: F3 Sprint
11.15: Spanish GP -Practly three (Session starts at 11:30 pm)
13.10: F2 Sprint
14.10: Spanish GP-qualifying structure*
15:00: Spanish GP qualification*
Sunday, June 1st
7.25: F3 FEATURE RACE
8.55: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Spanish GP structure*
14:00: The Spanish Grand Prix*
16:00: Controlled Flag: Spanish GP -Reague
*Also live on Sky Sports Main Event
F1’s European triple header ends with the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, with live coverage starting from Friday on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports With Now – No Contract, Cancel anytime