Strange McLaren F1 title question fueling Max Verstappen’s comeback

It is difficult not to exaggerate how unfathomable the current situation is at the top f1 Driver’ championship It was just two months ago. Rewind four races and max verstappen lag behind oscar piastri From 104 marks. For all intents and purposes, it was a mclaren intra-team title fightA sure thing. whether it’s Oscar Piastri or lando norrisThe winner will be decorated with a glittering papaya in Abu Dhabi on 7 December.

Now, the approach is not so black and white. In fact, the future now looks like an orange blanket with dark blue and red scattered all over it. The one individual title that really seemed unattainable for McLaren was his indomitable dominance Much of this season is now in danger of a catastrophic collapse.

For Verstappen, who had long dismissed his chances of a fifth consecutive title (a feat accomplished only by Michael Schumacher before him), it was the perfect sprint weekend in Austin. Two pole positions, two race wins and a maximum of 33 points to his name. Even the Dutchman, who is clearly not bothered by this season at times trials and tribulations But red BullNow licking his lips.

“Definitely, The awkward McLaren F1 title question fuelling Max Verstappen’s comeback There’s a chance,” he told Martin Brundle under the podium shortly after his speech Major win at the United States Grand Prix On Sunday. “We just need to try to deliver these types of weekends until the end. It’s exciting and I’m excited until the end.”

Verstappen’s gap to Piastri is now 40 points with five races remaining and 141 points to play for. Norris, who at least recovered from a slow start to finish second on Sunday, is only 14 points behind his teammate. Zero, the tide is turning dramatically against the already volatile Australian.

“The pressure builds when things start to go wrong; it’s difficult to get out of that scenario,” explained 2009 F1 world champion and ex-McLaren driver Jenson Button. sky sports“This is a pressure no racing driver feels unless you are fighting for the title in Formula One.”

Button may express sympathy for Piastri’s plight. In ’09, the Briton made his way to the finish line, failing to win any of the last 10 races in a strange year of one-to-one Brawn team dominance.

The more relevant year for McLaren would be 2007: Lewis Hamilton’s rookie year, in which a toxic intra-team feud with Fernando Alonso ultimately resulted in Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen taking the driver’s title by one point. It’s a scenario that should be omnipresent in the minds of McLaren CEO Jack Brown and team principal Andrea Stella as they seek to halt this current slide.

All is not well in the McLaren motorhome. Austin weekend started with borderline ridiculous discussion ‘consequences’ For Norris, following him minor contact With Piastri in the last race in Singapore. McLaren then did not take action, nor did the managers.

What is the need to keep the fire burning for a fortnight? Why tell half the story without explaining what such ‘consequences’ are? Although teams are allowed to keep secret matters in-house, the level of ambiguity was troubling.

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The general understanding among the paddock is that ‘results’ mean that the slightest sporting advantage will tilt in Piastri’s favour. Consider, for example, a tow in qualifying for the Australian on long straightaways such as Round 22 in Las Vegas, giving Piastri an extra speed boost for pole position.

However, the whole discussion was overshadowed after a difficult weekend in which both McLaren drivers Collided and out of sprint race On Saturday. If anything, this time it was Piastri’s fault. We look forward to the media day in Mexico for any developments on driver priority.

This is a can of worms that largely could have been avoided. McLaren may still have a decision in their hands: they could still make Piastri or Norris their No. 1 driver to increase their chances of stopping Verstappen. But they won’t do that; This has gone too far now. Even Piastri knows it.

When the Australian was asked whether McLaren should make him No. 1 after finishing fifth on Sunday, he replied, “I don’t know, I don’t think so.” “We’re still incredibly tight. We both wanted a chance to fight for the championship because we deserve it. I think it’s too close to start picking one or the other.”

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Talking about fighting? no way. The Piastri running on the track has definitely come to the track at the wrong time. He complained of feeling “out of rhythm” with the car throughout the weekend, appearing to struggle with the heavier crosswind than others in qualifying. Lacking confidence, the 24-year-old needs to try again – and fast – to Mexico next weekend.

Yet the McLaren creak is beginning to rear its head. If anything, despite the points discrepancy, Norris is in the best position right now to seize the initiative. Certainly, the team (especially Piastri) needs to get back on the podium at least consistently. There is a championship to win – the drivers’ crown for the first time since Hamilton in 2008 – and they are the ones with the points on the board. Norris could have overtaken Verstappen at the Austin Grand Prix had Norris not conceded second place to Charles Leclerc at the start. The Dutchman’s new burst of speed at Red Bull is not formidable.

But make no mistake: There’s a caffeine-inspired, headline-hungry energy drink growing behind a McLaren right now. Red Bull’s subtle mechanical upgrades, such as moving the skid blocks under the car’s floor to improve aerodynamics, have given their leading man a new lease of life.

The far-fetched Verstappen title attack has now turned into a real three-horse race for the championship. And with friendly races on the horizon where the Dutchman has won before – Mexico, Brazil and Vegas all favor him on paper – it looks like an incredible, unprecedented comeback may indeed be on the way.