Is the F1 championship battle over? Hardly.

The F1 championship battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is keeping everyone on the edge of their seats for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The two McLaren drivers have won 11 out of the 14 races so far – Norris with five wins and Piastri with six. 

Despite such a small point gap – just nine points separating the two in the standings – people are already claiming that Norris has lost the championship. With the entire second half of the season to go, nothing is decided yet. Championship battles of the past have been separated by much larger point gaps, with drivers coming back to win it despite not leading at the summer break. 

As the 2025 summer break comes to a close, looking back on title fights from the last 10 years is the perfect way to gear back up for the rest of the season.

2015: Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg (left) and Lewis Hamilton (right) at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2015. Courtesy of Getty Images.

Both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton’s time at Mercedes was packed with high-intensity, high-risk, and high-stakes racing. By the summer break of the 2015 season, Hamilton and Rosberg were separated by only 21 points. Hamilton had 202 points and Rosberg had 181, the season ending with Hamilton winning the driver’s championship.

2016: Hamilton & Rosberg

Rosberg and Hamilton’s collision at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. Courtesy of The Guardian, Zak Mauger/LAT/Rex/Shutterstock.

The 2016 Formula 1 season is infamous for The Silver War, the tense championship fight between the Mercedes Silver Arrows of Hamilton and Rosberg. Both drivers were willing to do everything in their power to snatch points from the other each race weekend. At the midway point, the gap in championship points was only 19, Hamilton boasting 217 and Rosberg following with 198. Despite being lower in the standings, Rosberg clinched the driver’s championship at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

2017: Sebastian Vettel & Hamilton

Hamilton (left) and Sebastian Vettel (right) at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix, where Vettel took P1. Courtesy of Motorsport.com.

The 2017 season brought a new contender for the championship besides Hamilton. Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel beat Hamilton in the first race of the year in Australia. The two were looking forward to a good championship battle as multiple championship winners. Halfway through the season, Vettel had garnered 202 points to Hamilton’s 188, leaving them just a 14-point gap. Despite leading halfway through the season, Vettel lost the championship to Hamilton.

2018: Vettel & Hamilton

Hamilton (left) and Vettel (right) emphasized the importance of good sportsmanship in their 2018 title fight. Courtesy of Sky Sports.

Following their championship battle the year prior, Vettel and Hamilton were once again neck and neck for the title in 2018. By summer break, their gap was just 24 points, Hamilton with 213 and Vettel with 189. Hamilton ended up winning the title that year, but Vettel was happy to congratulate his competitor and prepare for a good fight the following year.

2019: Valtteri Bottas & Hamilton

Hamilton (left) and Valtteri Bottas (right) at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Bottas took the win. Courtesy of Sky Sports.

Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton were an iconic duo at Mercedes for multiple years. Bottas had a strong start to the 2019 season and kept up a good fight for the remainder of the season. Halfway through, the gap between Bottas and Hamilton was 62 points: Hamilton with 250 and Bottas with 188. Hamilton ended up taking home another championship trophy that year.

2020: Hamilton

Hamilton had a great 2020 season, winning his seventh championship that year. Courtesy of Peter Fox/Getty Images.

With an odd season in the year 2020 due to COVID-19, there was no summer break. However, after eight of the 17 rounds, Hamilton was leading the championship with 164 points. At the end of the season, he made history by being only the second person, behind Michael Schumacher, to win seven world championships.

2021: Max Verstappen & Hamilton

Hamilton and Max Verstappen battling for the lead at the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix. Courtesy of Motor Authority.

The 2021 Formula 1 season was another infamous season with a high-strung battle for the top spot at the end of the year. Max Verstappen and Red Bull were challenging the previously dominant Hamilton and Mercedes for the title. By the summer break, Hamilton was leading with 195 points as Verstappen closely followed with 187, only eight points between them. It all came down to Abu Dhabi – the deciding, last race. The rule integrity of that race is still questioned to this day, but Verstappen took home his first championship at the end of the year.

2022: Charles Leclerc & Verstappen

Charles Leclerc (left) and Verstappen’s (right) championship fight emphasized the respect that was forged as childhood karting rivals. Courtesy of Sky Sports.

Charles Leclerc led a strong charge at the beginning of the 2022 season, challenging Verstappen for the title. Unfortunately, as the season continued, Leclerc fell behind in the face of team-related issues. Halfway through the season, the gap between Verstappen and Leclerc was at 80 points, each with 258 and 178, respectively. Verstappen ended the year with his second championship trophy in hand.

2023: Sergio Perez & Verstappen

Sergio “Checo” Perez (left) and Verstappen (right) celebrate Perez’ win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2023. Courtesy of CNN, Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Red Bull Racing had an unprecedented season of domination in 2023. One of the two Red Bull drivers won every single race of the season bar the Singapore Grand Prix, which was won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Verstappen led the charge of Red Bull’s dominance, and by the summer break, he was leading the championship with 314 points. Perez was second in the driver standings, but was a whopping 125 points behind with 189. It was easy for Verstappen to cruise to his third championship in the 2023 season.

2024: Lando Norris & Verstappen

Verstappen (left) congratulating Norris (right) following his first win in Formula 1 at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix. Courtesy of Sky Sports.

The 2024 season was a silly season for the books. Fans expected Red Bull and Verstappen to have another dominant year following 2023. However, other teams and drivers were bringing the pressure. Norris checked off his long-awaited first win in Formula 1 at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, and combined with more wins and consistently high-scoring results, fans watched Norris step up as Verstappen’s title challenger. Midway through the season, they were separated by 78 points: Verstappen with 277 and Norris with 199. With the head start Verstappen had at the beginning of the season, Norris was unable to catch up before the end of the season, and Verstappen took home his fourth championship.

2025: Norris & Piastri

Norris (left) and Piastri (right) have a good relationship on and off the track, taking the pressure off McLaren by racing each other fairly. Courtesy of ESPN, Clive Rose/Getty Images.

The impressive performance of both drivers won McLaren its first constructors' title in 26 years in 2024. Both Norris and Piastri have been building on the momentum from last season in the hopes of pushing their own drivers’ championship campaigns. Entering the 2025 summer break, there are only 9 points separating the two drivers. Piastri is leading with 284 points, and Norris is not far behind with 275. 

Formula 1 returns this weekend for the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, and fans are eager to see which driver will come out on top. Anything can happen during a race, and Zandvoort can set the tone for the rest of the championship battle.