Overview
- Lando Norris leads the drivers’ standings by a single point over Oscar Piastri after a dominant Mexico City win, having outscored his team-mate in five straight events.
- Max Verstappen sits 36 points off the lead with four rounds and two Sprint weekends remaining, with several analysts tipping a McLaren driver unless the team-mates cost each other points.
- McLaren has reaffirmed its equal-treatment approach and removed earlier repercussions applied to Norris, with CEO Zak Brown stressing the team will ignore outside noise.
- Team principal Andrea Stella backed Piastri to rebound, calling Mexico learnings an investment as the Australian works to understand a recent pace deficit.
- Ralf Schumacher dismissed claims of McLaren favoritism toward Norris as unfounded, while Martin Brundle and others warn that intra-team clashes could reopen the door for Verstappen.