“Writing on the wall” as new F1 top dog is identified

A new F1 championship favourite has been picked out by Martin Brundle.

Oscar Piastri shot to the summit of the F1 drivers’ standings for the first time in his career last week.

The McLaren driver has won back-to-back grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and also won earlier in the season in China.

Piastri came out on top of an early skirmish with Max Verstappen, who was penalised, at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Piastri has overhauled teammate Lando Norris who led the championship entering Saudi Arabia.

Sky Sports’ Brundle has pointed at Piastri as the man to beat for the rest of the season.

“It was a big moment for him,” Brundle said about Piastri’s battle with Verstappen in Saudi Arabia.

“Other than an unlucky bounce in the gravel trap in Melbourne, he could have been leading the championship by 25 or 30 points.

“There are lots of ‘ifs’ there - if Lando didn’t go off in qualifying [in Saudi Arabia], and so forth…

“[Piastri] has won 10 percent of his grands prix now! That’s extraordinary.

“He has won the same number of grands prix as Lando.

“The writing is on the wall. He is the favourite for the championship.”

Lando Norris buoyed by Miami return

F1 returns next weekend with the Miami Grand Prix, the scene of Norris’ first victory.

He will be eager to put memories of Saudi Arabia behind him, after crashing in qualifying leaving himself 10th on the starting grid.

But returning to Miami could provide Norris with much-needed optimism.

“Great memories for the team to build on,” Bernie Collins said.

“A lot of drivers will be looking to make amends for [Saudi Arabia]. Lando is one, Max is another.

“They will be looking to recoup the points that they felt hard done by [for losing in Saudi Arabia].

“It will be a great battle, everyone will go in to secure more on the board.”

Brundle said: “It’s another relentlessly fast track.

“Lando will look forward to it, because he won last year and it started his charge in the championship.”

Piastri is 10 points clear of second-place Norris in the drivers’ championship after five F1 2025 rounds.

Verstappen is third, 12 behind Piastri, although he proved his Red Bull could at least compete with the feted McLarens last time out in Saudi Arabia.