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There’s a reason Formula 1 feels everywhere right now. What was once a niche motorsport in India has exploded into a full-blown cultural moment. Drive to Survive may have lit the fuse, but young women across the country are the ones keeping the grid-girl era firmly buried and the fandom buzzing. From race-weekend fits and armchair analytics to meme pages and podcast panels, Indian women have become some of the sport's most passionate, vocal, and well-versed audiences.
Female viewership has surged over the last few seasons, not just in India but globally. And with the F1 Academy putting young female drivers on the track and on the map, the sport finally feels like it’s opening up lanes for women who want to do more than just watch. The garage is changing, and the fan conversations? Absolutely chaotic...
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So we asked some of the coolest women in the Indian F1 space what their predictions are for this nail-biting championship. They did not hold back.
Taniya Mehta, Projekt Podium, Sports Content Creator & Presenter
“Realistically, it would be great if Max (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing) wins the championship because I think he’s had a phenomenal year — he’s given it his all, and so has Red Bull in general. Plus, I’m not the biggest fan of the papaya rules; we deserved better racing, I guess. So I want Max to win because it’s going to be a very, very interesting comeback.
But I know the chances of Max winning are very low, so I guess Lando (Lando Norris, McLaren) winning it is not my favourite thing, but he’s improved a lot since the summer break and maybe he deserves it because of the consistency and the new confidence he has now. HOWEVER, I would be very happy if it’s Max or Oscar (Oscar Piastri, McLaren).”
Amruta Karnik, Advertising Photographer & F1 Content Creator
“I really hoped Oscar (Oscar Piastri, McLaren) would win this season, but it’s unfortunate how things flipped 180 degrees for him. He’s performed like a true champion all year, but luck hasn’t been on his side in the last few races. Truly tragic for a championship contender who held the lead for a substantial portion of the season.
Max (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing) has been phenomenal, delivering incredible performances even when his car hasn’t fully supported him. With the margin between Max and Lando (Lando Norris, McLaren) being so small, the season has become incredibly exciting with only two races remaining.
McLaren has shown consistent pace, but we’ve seen Lando make mistakes before — and if that happens again, it could seriously hurt his chances of winning the WDC.
Still, while I genuinely respect Max as a sportsman and I would have loved to see him win more championships, this time I secretly (or not so secretly 😄) hope Lando takes the championship!”
Priya Bihani, Grand Prix Stories, F1 Content Creator
“I think Lando (Lando Norris, McLaren) will be the world champion. He’s been consistently strong and, apart from the Vegas start bottle-job, his recent form has been the best on the grid. Even with McLaren’s disqualification, he still has a big enough buffer that Max (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing) and Oscar (Oscar Piastri, McLaren) can’t win the title by simply winning races — they need Lando to seriously drop the ball. So the championship is out of their hands, but still fully in Lando’s.
As for who deserves it, that’s a different conversation. Oscar was the standout in the first half of the season, Lando has owned the second half, and across the whole year, Max has arguably done the most with the least. But everyone has made mistakes — Lando, Oscar and Max included.
Whoever wins the championship will be a worthy champion in my eyes!”
Yaquta Bootwala, Co-Founder, TwoStopStrat
“Being a Lando (Lando Norris, McLaren) supporter, this season has been quite something. Now that he’s finally in the spotlight and properly in the title fight, it feels like everyone suddenly has an opinion about him — and not always a kind one.
People call it arrogance, but I’ve been watching him since his rookie year, which was also the first year I started following F1 consistently. For me, it’s been years of watching him grow, take the highs and the heartbreaks, and finally make it here.
I will say, though, Max (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing) has pulled through and delivered some insane racing, which I have massive respect for. I was rooting for either Lando or Max, though of course, Lando more, hehehe. Oscar (Oscar Piastri, McLaren) just isn’t fully on my radar yet. I think he’s talented and his time will come, but right now it feels like it’s Lando’s moment to claim :)”
Rashi Gaur, (@hamazinglew), Sir Lewis Hamilton/ F1 Content Creator
“In all honesty, I would love for Oscar (Oscar Piastri, McLaren) to win. He’s performed so well this year and genuinely deserved a championship from the start of the season, but with McLaren failing on strategy multiple times, that slipped away. From where I see it, Max (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing) might get away with this year’s win based on his experience, especially since Lando (Lando Norris, McLaren) has a tendency to falter in high-pressure scenarios. Being a massive Sir Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) fan, I fear Max might walk away with his fifth title this year — if not Oscar.”
Rashi Saini, Box Box Club (F1 Widgets & App)
“Honestly, my ‘logical’ pick has to be Lando (Lando Norris, McLaren). The probability is definitely in his favour. Max (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing) can absolutely go out there and win the race, but as long as Lando lands on the podium, he seals the championship. So, on paper, it’s Lando’s to lose. But the problem is that F1 isn’t a logical sport. And emotionally, I’m really rooting for Max. If he doesn’t win his fifth this year, it’s giving major déjà vu of Lewis (Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes) and the missing eighth — I’ll leave that there before I get myself in trouble. I genuinely feel this might be the last season where Max really bothers chasing the title, so storyline-wise, the fifth would be iconic.
Now, plot twist: if you’d asked me at the start of the year, I’d have picked Oscar (Oscar Piastri, McLaren) over Lando any day. He deserves it so much, and the wild part is that the scenarios do still exist where he can take it. The simplified maths goes like this:
If Lando finishes P1–P3 → he’s champion, no matter what Max or Oscar do.
If Lando finishes P4–P5 → he’s champion unless Max wins.
If Lando finishes P6–P7 → Max becomes champion if he wins.
Oscar becomes champion if he wins.
If neither wins → Lando wins.If Lando finishes P8 → Max is champion if he finishes P1 or P2 (with Oscar not winning).
Oscar is champion if he wins.
Otherwise → Lando again.
But papaya rules exist.
So yes, realistically, Lando is the winner. But emotionally, I don’t think the internet (or I) am ready for him to be crowned champion this easily. I’m 100% hoping Max or Oscar pull off a comeback and make Abu Dhabi chaotic AF — in the best way possible.”
Anamm Inamdar, Jr. Fashion Writer, ELLE India
“F1 predictions, the race is heated right up to the final lap. Lando (Lando Norris, McLaren) and Oscar (Oscar Piastri, McLaren) are wheel to wheel on the last lap — very Hamilton–Max Abu Dhabi 2021 flashbacks. They both crash on the final corner, and Max (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing) goes ahead and wins his fifth World Championship.”
Chehak Dudeja, F1 Content Creator
“Personally, I’d love to see Lando (Lando Norris, McLaren) win this year’s championship. It isn’t about ranking one driver above another, because Max (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing) and Oscar (Oscar Piastri, McLaren) have both delivered exceptional performances as well. For me, the appeal lies in witnessing a driver fight for their first world title. When you’ve followed someone’s growth through a season, you naturally build a connection to that narrative arc — and Lando’s journey this year has been exactly that for me: a steady progression that feels genuinely rewarding to support.
What has stood out, though, is how emotionally charged fan conversations have become. I’ve seen a noticeable increase in negativity around Lando, sometimes even directed at me for supporting him, which I honestly didn’t expect. But that doesn’t take away from the respect I have for all three title contenders. They each bring a different strength and a different style, and that’s what makes this season so compelling.
So while I’d be happy for any of them to take the title, Lando winning would feel a little extra special — simply because his season is the one I’ve connected with the most.”
