Overview
- With four races left, Lando Norris leads Oscar Piastri 357–356, with Max Verstappen third on 321 and 36 points off the lead as F1 heads to a Sprint weekend at Interlagos.
- Piastri’s post-summer downturn continues with five races without a win and four straight non-podiums, while Norris’ Mexico City victory capped a run aided by a qualifying approach that removed the live delta from his steering wheel.
- Bernie Ecclestone claims McLaren prefers Norris and has “slowed down” Piastri, a charge McLaren figures have called nonsense and which Martin Brundle dismisses as incompatible with how top teams operate.
- McLaren’s ‘papaya rules’ and orders, including telling Piastri to cede position to Norris at Monza, drew scrutiny, with Damon Hill saying such directives confuse drivers and fans.
- Red Bull says recent upgrades and internal changes have restored pace, and Helmut Marko believes changeable weather in Brazil could help Verstappen close the gap.