Oscar Piastri labels 5-time F1 race winner over Max Verstappen as his main Championship rival

Oscar Piastri has identified who he considers his championship rival for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The 23-year-old opted for his McLaren teammate Lando Norris ahead of four-time drivers' champion Max Verstappen.

The young Australian, fresh off his victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, remains on course for his maiden Drivers’ Championship. Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, he was asked who he sees as his main rival in the title race.

Responding to the question, Oscar Piastri chose Lando Norris over Max Verstappen as his main rival for the championship.

"I think for myself, Lando is obviously in the same car as me, and it’s a strong car, and I know that Lando is a very strong teammate."

Further explaining his rationale behind suggesting his teammate as his title rival over Verstappen, Piastri said:

"Max is obviously an incredibly strong driver as well, so to pick one is very difficult, but I think just because we have the same car, probably Lando."

Lando Norris currently leads the Drivers’ Championship standings ahead of Verstappen, having amassed 44 points from the opening two Grands Prix of the season. Oscar Piastri, however, is fourth in the standings, 10 points behind his British teammate.

Lando Norris speaks on potential rivalry with Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris on the podium at the F1 Grand Prix Of China - Source: Getty

Lando Norris also recently touched on his rivalry with teammate Oscar Piastri. The 25-year-old spoke about the prospect of a title battle developing between them.

Norris had kicked off the 2025 season with a victory in the tricky conditions at the Australian Grand Prix. However, his victory was met with a response from Piastri, who clinched a statement victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Ahead of the next race, slated for the Suzuka circuit, Norris was quizzed about battling Oscar Piastri for the Drivers’ title. Speaking during the press conference, the five-time Grand Prix winner detailed:

“...At the end of the day, I don’t mind. I’m ready to battle whoever it is, and I’m excited.”

“It’s round three now; we’ve only done two races. Many things can happen, and I’m sure there are going to be plenty of trickier or tougher times. But like I said last week, we acknowledge this. We both know we’re ready for these kinds of situations.

“We want to beat each other, but we’re also teammates, so it’s not an easy dynamic. It’s never easy to get the balances perfect, but we’re working as hard as a team to make sure that we do.”

Both Norris and Piastri were rarely allowed to race each other freely, with McLaren enforcing team orders—dubbed the ‘Papaya Rule’—throughout the 2024 season. However, it appears this restriction has been lifted for the current campaign, raising the prospect of both McLaren drivers engaging in wheel-to-wheel battles on track.