Overview
- Oscar Piastri retains a narrow championship lead, with reports placing his advantage over Lando Norris in the low teens and Max Verstappen about 40 points back after Austin.
- Verstappen has dramatically outscored the McLaren pair across the last four events, taking 101 points to Norris’s 57 and Piastri’s 37.
- Piastri acknowledged a tougher run yet says past nail‑biting junior titles give him confidence that he can still clinch the crown.
- The McLaren driver identified recent qualifying pace as a weak spot and said he and the team are analysing how to better extract one‑lap performance.
- Jenson Button cautioned that pressure can trigger a negative spiral for Piastri, while Damon Hill posted a composure-themed message in response to the title strain.