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10h ago

Verstappen’s Late Surge Puts Pressure on McLaren Title Duel Heading to Austin

Zak Brown says McLaren will keep its equal‑treatment policy despite rising sprint‑weekend volatility.

Formula One F1 - Italian Grand Prix - Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy - September 6, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates after qualifying in pole position with second placed McLaren's Lando Norris and third placed McLaren's Oscar Piastri REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki
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Formula One F1 - Dutch Grand Prix - Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands - August 30, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrates after qualifying in pole position with second placed McLaren's Lando Norris REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki
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Overview

  • Oscar Piastri leads Lando Norris by 22 points with six races left, with Max Verstappen 63 points off the lead.
  • Verstappen has outscored both McLarens in the last three grands prix, clawing back 41 points and arriving on four straight podiums.
  • Austin opens the final quarter with a sprint and is a strong venue for Verstappen, who won there in 2021–2023 and took the 2024 sprint.
  • McLaren secured the constructors’ title in Singapore and will continue its 'Papaya Rules' of equal opportunities and 'race but do not collide,' according to Zak Brown.
  • Tension followed Norris’s aggressive first‑lap pass on Piastri in Singapore that Piastri called 'unfair,' while voices like Jacques Villeneuve tip Verstappen for a comeback and Mika Hakkinen expects McLaren to manage its drivers; Juan Pablo Montoya suggested unverified Piastri exit rumors could be tactical noise.