Much has (rightly) been made of the incredible seasons both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have had. It was a title battle between two titans of the sport that raged all season long and came down to the last lap of the last race.
Except… that’s not quite right.
It was, in fact, a battle between three titans of the sport, which ebbed and flowed, culminating in a final race title decider. Oscar Piastri was the championship leader and odds-on favourite for the crown as far into the year as September.
Norris’ turn around in form and Verstappen’s historic comeback both just happened to coincide with a slight performance dip from Piastri.
.webp?ssl=1 "James Hinchcliffe picks his top five drivers of the 2026 Formula 1 season so far")
