Max Verstappen may have spelled the end of Lando Norris's hopes in the Drivers' Championship. Winner at Interlagos after an incredible comeback from 17th place on the grid, the Dutchman disgusted the competition on Sunday, and in particular his British opponent, only 6th at the finish despite starting from pole position. In the rain of São Paulo, the Englishman and his team got confused, making a series of driving and strategy errors, trapped by a saving red flag for Max Verstappen and the two Alpines at the front.
The accounting situation in the Drivers' Championship is therefore very gloomy for Lando Norris, who now finds himself 62 points behind Max Verstappen in the standings. The Red Bull driver will even have a first opportunity to win the title at the next meeting, in Las Vegas (November 21-23) if he does not concede more than two points to his British rival. With three Grands Prix remaining in the season, it will take one – or rather several – miracles for the Englishman to win the world crown.
With such low hopes, will McLaren change its strategy regarding its two drivers? Following the Brazilian Grand Prix, Andrea Stella reaffirmed that “the constructors' championship has always been [leur] priority, so it doesn't change anything. » « Mathematically, we are still in the championship [Pilotes]but I think that for Lando and for Oscar, we will go to the next races trying to win them,” adds the Italian leader.
Should we understand, in this statement, that Oscar Piastri could be released from team instructions for the last three meetings of the season? The Australian had to “sacrifice” himself twice again this weekend at Interlagos, first by ceding victory in the Sprint race to Lando Norris, then by kindly letting his teammate pass during the Grand Prix, after the mistake committed by the Briton during the restart after the last Safety Car.
Piastri and Norris on equal terms?
In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren is in a much more advantageous position since the Woking team leads the way with 36 points ahead of Ferrari and 49 points ahead of Red Bull. However, this lead still remains fragile and the team with eight Constructors' titles will have to secure big points during the next meetings to hope to glean a first world crown since 1998. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could then find themselves on a competitive footing. tie for the last three Grands Prix of this 2024 campaign, depending on the situation. The Australian notably showed great things last year in Qatar, winning the Sprint (with pole) and finishing 2nd in the Grand Prix.
For Lando Norris, even if the title race is not over, this failure in São Paulo is a huge blow. He who had a golden opportunity to come back to around twenty points behind Max Verstappen in the championship missed the mark and found himself further behind his Dutch rival. Overall, McLaren's Sunday afternoon was not good: neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri showed a very interesting pace in the rain, far from the winner's times. For Andrea Stella, the performance of her two drivers during the Brazilian Grand Prix cannot be called into question, despite the defeat against Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
“When we lock the tires with a car like today, I don't point the finger at the driver. I'm looking to find out why the car keeps locking the front tires in conditions like this. I don't think the pressure [du championnat] was a significant factor, he assures, in reference to the errors of Lando Norris in the race. We struggled with lockups throughout the weekend in wet conditions with both drivers and I think from a car point of view that's also something we need to look at. »
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