Overview
- Lando Norris leads Oscar Piastri by a single point with four races left, while Max Verstappen has cut his deficit to 36 ahead of the Interlagos sprint weekend.
- Bernie Ecclestone has suggested McLaren may be favouring Norris or holding Piastri back, allegations repeated across outlets without specific evidence.
- McLaren CEO Zak Brown has rejected any suggestion of favouritism, stressing equal treatment and acknowledging recent calls appeared to fall Norris’s way.
- Jacques Villeneuve and Martin Brundle attribute Piastri’s downturn to confidence issues after the Baku weekend rather than team intent or major car changes.
- Red Bull cites recent upgrades and restructuring for its resurgence, with Helmut Marko eyeing wet-weather opportunities in Sao Paulo to challenge both McLarens.