Overview

• Piastri leads Norris by 22 points with six rounds remaining after McLaren clinched the constructors’ title in Singapore.
• FIA stewards deemed Norris’s first‑lap overtake on Piastri legal in Singapore, and McLaren chose not to reverse the positions as Norris finished third and Piastri fourth.
• Ex-Haas boss Guenther Steiner urged McLaren to prioritise Piastri for the drivers’ crown, while opinion split among pundits with Johnny Herbert praising Norris’s aggression and Peter Windsor calling the move unnecessary risk.
• Red Bull’s upgrades have lifted Verstappen to within 63 points of Piastri after two wins and a second in the last three races, raising the risk that McLaren infighting could open the door for a late charge.
• Court testimony from Alex Palou suggesting Zak Brown initially did not want to sign Piastri has intensified speculation about the Australian’s long‑term future, which remains unconfirmed despite his multi‑year extension.