LANDO NORRIS took another slice out of Max Verstappen’s championship lead on Sunday to offer more hope of a thrilling conclusion to the Formula One title race.
Verstappen bemoaned his Red Bull car and Norris called for more help from his McLaren team as Charles Leclerc claimed a famous Ferrari victory on home soil in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
How do things stand?
Norris has clawed his way into title contention and has cut Verstappen’s lead by 16 points across the last two races. The Dutchman’s advantage is down to 62 points with eight races to go and 232 points still up for grabs.
Verstappen said after Monza — where he finished sixth as Norris claimed third — that it was “unrealistic” that he would be able to stop Norris in the championship battle. The Red Bull driver is on a winless run of six races ahead of the trip to Baku in a fortnight.
What has happened to Red Bull?
When Verstappen won four of the first five races of the season — having won 19 of the 22 races last season — it appeared the Red Bull driver would cruise to his fourth-successive world championship. But since Norris’s maiden F1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren have had the best car on the grid.
Red Bull brought an upgraded package to Imola in May — an upgrade Mercedes technical director James Allison later described as a downgrade — and the sport’s dominant team have struggled ever since.
Hard-fought victories in Canada and Spain, coupled with missed opportunities by McLaren, saw Verstappen’s lead stand at a dominant 84 points after Silverstone. But with Norris’s resurgence and an ailing car, Red Bull know they are firmly in a title scrap.
Time for McLaren to be ruthless?
Norris would arguably be much closer had McLaren favoured their leading man.
F1 fans have become accustomed to team orders impacting race wins over the years, with Valtteri Bottas regularly sacrificing himself to help Lewis Hamilton to title success.
McLaren have so far chosen not to go down that route, with Norris even asked to move aside for team-mate Oscar Piastri to win in Hungary.
At Monza this weekend, Piastri’s well-timed opening-lap lunge on Norris into turn four put pole-sitter Norris on the back foot and ultimately behind race-winner Leclerc.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella indicated afterwards that the time has come to play the team game.
“We have to acknowledge that we are in a position to challenge for both the constructors’ and drivers’ championship,” he said.
“And we have to put the team and Lando in a position to pursue both championships.”
Is Leclerc out of it?
Probably. A Ferrari victory at Monza is one of the sport’s most electrifying sights, and the joyous celebrations will only lift the Italian team. But Leclerc is 86 points behind Verstappen, so would require a major turnaround to get himself back in the mix.
Ferrari started the season well but have fallen away since Leclerc’s win at his home race in Monaco.
An upgraded package for their home race appears to have worked, with Leclerc suggesting he has not yet given up hope in both championships.
What about the constructors’ championship?
McLaren appear to be firm favourites to take the team prize. They have decimated Red Bull’s lead in recent races, with Verstappen playing a lone hand amid Sergio Perez’s struggle for form, while Norris and Piastri are consistently challenging for the podium.
Heading into Baku, McLaren trail by just eight points.
Perez has not finished in the top five since Miami back in May, missing out on the points three times since then, as the Mexican continues to cling on to his seat as Verstappen’s team-mate.
Red Bull are also under threat from Ferrari, with the Scuderia only 39 points off the leaders.
