Lando Norris loses out after F1 points change

Lando Norris, McLaren, Belgium, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Lando Norris loses out after F1 points change

Every point matters in the F1 title race

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 25 September 2025 12:57

McLaren star Lando Norris has lost out in 2025 after an F1 rule change has caused him to miss out on a crucial haul of points.

Heading into the final seven rounds of the season, the title remains as close as ever with 25 points separating Norris from team-mate Oscar Piastri at the top of the standings.

With a championship as close as it has been, a change for the 2025 season could have huge implications on who is crowned world champion, after it was announced that the point for the fastest lap had been abandoned.

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While a fastest lap is still noted at the end of a grand prix, there is no reward for the achievement, with the extra point becoming a contentious issue in 2024.

The fastest lap point was awarded to any top 10 finisher, but drivers further down the field could still pit for soft tyres and claim the fastest time, if they needed to steal the point from a rival.

For example, at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Racing Bulls (Red Bull’s sister team) star Daniel Ricciardo claimed the fastest lap but finished in last, to steal the point from Norris to help Max Verstappen in his title bid.

So, if the fastest lap point were available in 2025, which driver would have accumulated the most points, and how would it impact the F1 title battle?

Who has the most amount of fastest F1 laps in 2025?

Currently, Norris has the highest number of fastest laps in 2025, which means if a point were still available like it was last season, he would have picked up six extra points in the title battle.

His team-mate Oscar Piastri has the second most, and would have received five extra points, which would alter the drivers’ standings somewhat.

With five points added to his tally, Piastri would still lead the championship with 329 points, but Norris would only be 24 points behind with 305 points.

While the sake of a point might seem petty at this stage, that single point could be instrumental to whether Norris wins the title or not in Abu Dhabi, alongside any further fastest laps he may acquire in the remaining seven rounds.

Of course, there is the caveat that if the fastest lap point still existed, then drivers would have used the rule tactically, and the current fastest lap winners would not be the same.

However, it does go to show how key the fastest lap was as a tactical chess piece in F1, and one that would have been interesting to witness during the inter-McLaren battle.

The other drivers who have achieved a fastest lap in 2025 are, Max Verstappen, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who have all claimed the accolade on two occasions.

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