Norris vs Piastri vs Verstappen is playing out like 2007 repeat

Telegraph

19-05-2025

After McLaren's dominant one-two in Miami this month, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were asked whether their rivalry this season could evolve into a 'Hamilton vs Rosberg scenario from 2016', a year when Mercedes had a dominant car and their two drivers were allowed to slug it out to a bitter conclusion.
Norris was non-committal. 'Time will tell,' he replied. Piastri, though, gave an interesting response. 'We said that we're trying to repeat 2007,' the Australian told the assembled media, laughing.
McLaren had better hope not. That season very much ended in tears for McLaren, not to mention a $100 million fine.
After Sunday's race at Imola, however, it is starting to feel as if we could be heading in that direction.
If not in terms of the poisonous rivalry and paranoia that developed between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, McLaren's two drivers in 2007, then in terms of the Woking team having an excellent car but their drivers costing each other so many points that a third driver was able to sneak in at the death and steal the title from under their noses.
For Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, read Max Verstappen in 2025. The Dutchman is loitering with serious intent. More than loitering.
Red Bull's four-time world champion has had the slower car at six out of seven races so far this season, arguably all seven. But he is right there, in third place, just nine points behind Norris in second and 22 points – fewer than a single race victory – behind Piastri in first.
Sunday's race was absolutely fascinating in terms of what it has done to the narrative of this season.
From fears post-Miami that McLaren were going to run away with the season, and make it a clear two-horse race, a la 2016, suddenly Norris and Piastri are trying to assert themselves over each other, still in a friendly do-what-is-best-for-the-team way, while looking nervously over their shoulders at a machine-like driver who has been there, done it, and got the T-shirt.
Verstappen does not look as if he is going away. If he can remain this close while Red Bull are struggling with their car, what can he do if they get on top of it?
Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, appeared to suggest in his post-race debrief in Imola that the team had unlocked something, although Gary Anderson, writing for Telegraph Sport on Monday, was doubtful about that, saying they were likely only 'minor upgrades' that they took to Italy and suggesting it was more a case of finding a good operating window.
'I do not think Red Bull had the fastest car at Imola by any means,' the former Jordan technical director concluded.
Time will tell on that. But when you have Verstappen in the mix, you do not always need the fastest car. The 27-year-old tends to maximise what he has, which is often enough, particularly if McLaren's drivers make mistakes, as Norris did in qualifying and Piastri did in the race.
It will be fascinating to see how the Australian reacts the next time Verstappen goes for a 'win it or bin it' (Horner's description) move on him. Piastri admitted he was overly tentative on Sunday, partly because he felt it was not worth the risk making contact as he had what he presumed to be the faster race car. Next time he may not be so accommodating.
Then again, can he risk a collision with Norris there to pick up the pieces? Norris is in a similar boat. That was his problem all the way through last year.
Time will tell whether McLaren reassert themselves. If they continue to enjoy the buffer they have generally had so far this season, they should be fine come Abu Dhabi. But if Red Bull's improvement is real, if they have found a better balance across different types of track, we could well have a genuine three-way title fight. Piastri joked about 2007 in Miami, but the potential for a repeat if that was the case would be very real.