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Windsor does not pick Verstappen as title favourite: 'He has the best chance'
- Savannah Lenz
The new 2025 Formula 1 season looks promising, as the last season ended on a high note. With the top teams battling it out until the very end, many people's opinions differ when it comes to choosing who they think will win. While talking on Cameron CC podcast, Peter Windsor did point out a driver but that he does not want to overlook the others.
While Red Bull Racing has had its dominant years, McLaren and Ferrari have managed to get very close to them in terms of car development. While Max Verstappen's team struggled with their car, Lando Norris's and Charles Leclerc's teams started to get their right.
Windsor on possible title winner
"I think Charles [Leclerc] could win the championship. I'm not going to state the obvious, which is a McLaren driver or possibly Max. I think Charles could. I have got a good feeling about Ferrari."
Windsor thinks that when it comes to Leclerc winning it all, how Leclerc manages himself is where it all lies. Windsor mentioned Leclerc managing his emotions and Lewis Hamilton as a teammate. He thinks that Ferrari could win it because of the "organic growth" that they've had.
After having multiple race winners this season, Windsor doesn't want to count any one person out. "There's no way you can rule George Russell out either. And you certainly obviously can't rule out Max or one of the two McLaren drivers."
Can the McLaren drivers be champions together?
Still, Windsor does have his opinions on what is standing in McLaren's way. "If McLaren announced tomorrow that Oscar Piastri was doing a year of sabbatical, and the #2 this year in order to try to help him win the championship is Daniel Ricciardo, all effort in Lando Norris, then you'd have to say Lando's got a really, really good chance of winning the championship."
He concluded, "Conversely if they said Lando's taking a sabbatical, and Oscar's our number one driver with Daniel Ricciardo in the other car, the two Aussies and he's out there to help Oscar as much as possible, I'd say Oscar's got a pretty good chance of winning the championship."
This article was written in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut.
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