The Formula One season is heading into its final six races, and four drivers are still running for the championship. Max Verstappen leads the way, but Lando Norris is hot on his heels and Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri still have a chance.
This year’s Formula One Drivers’ Championship has been the tightest since the 2021 season, which saw Max Verstappen (1.56) pip Lewis Hamilton (2994.72) at the post controversially in the season’s final race.
Since then, Verstappen has dominated Formula One. He easily won the 2022 and 2023 drivers’ championships. In 2022, he clinched it in round 18 of 22 and in 2023, he clinched it in round 17 of 22. This year, there will be no party quite so prematurely.
Max Verstappen (1.56)
Red Bull’s Verstappen remains the favourite to win this season’s Formula One world championship, holding a lead of 52 points at the top of the drivers’ standings with 331. Given that it is 25 points for a win and one point for the fastest lap, Verstappen effectively holds a lead of two race wins and two fastest laps.
The Dutch driver dominated the early stages of the season. He won seven of the first 10 races and after Silverstone, the 12th race of the season, he was 84 points clear of Norris. By then, it looked highly unlikely that Norris would mount a serious challenge for the F1 title.
Verstappen’s form in recent races has been less impressive, but he has a comfortable margin and if he is able to keep finishing on the podium consistently from here, it should be enough to clinch him a fourth straight world championship.
Lando Norris (2.36)
Norris began to mount a title challenge only after the Formula One summer break, returning with a statement 22-second win and fastest lap at none other than Verstappen’s home race, the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Brit has consistently been competitive since then and won the Singapore Grand Prix – his third win in total after he had claimed victory in Miami before the summer break.
McLaren-Mercedes clearly have a strong team this year, with both Norris and Oscar Piastri punching well above what was expected of them mere months ago. Norris is second in the championship with 279 points.
Charles Leclerc (33.93)
When he entered the sport, Monegasque driver Leclerc was viewed, together with Verstappen, as one of its most talented prospects.
However, Leclerc has so far been a nearly-man throughout the course of his years at Ferrari. He has a very real mathematical chance of winning the drivers’ championship and currently has 245 points, but he has so far not been consistent enough.
However, especially with Hamilton set to join Ferrari next season, Leclerc has much to prove and may be especially fired up for the final stretch of this year.
Oscar Piastri (50.89)
A supremely talented Australian driver, Piastri has been showing significant promise at only 23 years old. In recent weeks, his form has been as good as anyone’s in Formula One.
With the help of a diligent supporting role played by McLaren teammate Norris, he won the Hungarian Grand Prix to clinch his first-ever race win in round 13. Piastri would then go on to claim his second win of the season in round 17 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
He is a dark horse in this championship race with 237 points. However, what is beyond dispute is that he is one to watch for the future.
