Bernie Ecclestone has branded Lando Norris as 'cocky' and 'over-confident', predicting that Max Verstappen will overcome a 12-point deficit to win the 2025 Formula One Drivers' Championship in Abu Dhabi. The 94-year-old former F1 supremo believes Verstappen deserves the title and has what it takes to secure a fifth consecutive crown.
Norris, Verstappen and Oscar Piastri head into the season finale separated by 16 points after 23 races. Norris is the bookmakers' favourite with a 12-point lead over Verstappen, while Piastri is four points further back. If Norris finishes third in Abu Dhabi, he will win the title regardless of his rivals' results.
Ecclestone told Mail Sport: 'I still believe Max will do it. He deserves it. Lando is fine, a really good driver, but he is over-confident, too cocky, believing his own publicity, but he gets nervous at crunch moments and can't quite deliver the way Max can when the pressure is on.'
Ecclestone also criticised McLaren's team orders, particularly the decision to swap drivers at Monza after a poor pit stop for Norris. 'A bad pit stop is part of racing. You have to accept it, not engineer it,' he said. He added that Verstappen is 'something special' and has 'nothing to lose' in the finale.
Verstappen was over 100 points behind the championship leader after finishing second in Zandvoort, making the Abu Dhabi race a free hit for the reigning champion. Ecclestone concluded: 'You can never bet against Max. He is one-off, and a super-nice guy, and I hope he gets the job done.'
