World Championship battle between Norris and Piastri: Will the lower error rate decide?

(Motorsport-Total.com) - With ten races remaining, it seems certain that this year's World Championship title will be decided between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Current world champion Max Verstappen is now almost 100 points behind the top spot.

The question, therefore, is: Which of the two McLaren drivers, currently separated by only nine points , will snatch their first title this year? Predicting is impossible, as it will likely come down to who makes the fewest mistakes.

And here, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have already shown signs of nerves. The Australian slipped up at the opening race in Melbourne, of all places, when he was caught in the rain in front of his home crowd and slid into the grass .

Unfortunately, Piastri got stuck in the wet grass and it took him about a minute to free himself. Although he remained on the lead lap, he ultimately crossed the finish line in eighth place. Without this mistake, at least second place would have been assured.

Lando Norris: From leader to hunter

Teammate Lando Norris, who triumphed at the opening race , initially took the lead in the standings. But the Briton made his first mistake in the second race in China: He started sixth in the sprint qualifying and finished only eighth in the sprint.

At the fourth race in Bahrain, Norris overran his starting gate, received a five-second penalty, and finished third. A qualifying accident at the fifth race in Saudi Arabia ultimately allowed race winner Piastri to take the lead from his teammate.

The drama continued for Norris, including the accident in Canada , when he crashed into the rear of his McLaren colleague Piastri. Nevertheless, the Briton managed to reduce his deficit to the championship leader, which had grown to 22 points after the Montreal retirement, in the following races.

Oscar Piastri lets Lando Norris get closer

Piastri wasn't always flawless before the summer break, including in Great Britain, when he lost a sure victory behind the safety car . With the start of the summer break, the World Championship battle is once again completely open – and the final ten races will bring the decision.

The bottom line is: whoever makes the fewest errors at the end will secure the world championship title. Our separate photo series on Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri reveal the (potentially decisive) mistakes the two McLaren drivers have already made this year.