The Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship remains extremely tight as the season nears its conclusion. Lando Norris reclaimed the top spot in the standings after his solo victory at the Mexican Grand Prix. However, his challengers are close behind. Oscar Piastri sits just one point behind his teammate, while Max Verstappen has narrowed the gap from 104 to 36 points since the summer break. With four races and two Sprint events remaining, the big question is whether Max Verstappen can overturn the standings to claim his fifth consecutive world title.
According to former team principal Otmar Szafnauer, several factors could be decisive in the battle for the championship.
The key factor
In an interview with Racingnews365, Otmar Szafnauer explained that, despite Max Verstappen’s impressive comeback, the favorites for the title are the two McLaren drivers. “You have to back a McLaren driver, even though Max is the best of the group. I have always said that the winner will be the one who makes the fewest mistakes or suffers the least technical issues. It’s hard to predict retirements,” he said.
Szafnauer also highlighted that Lando Norris’s inconsistent form early in the season was largely due to the internal challenge from Oscar Piastri. “From the outside, it’s hard for me to judge, but it seemed that at the start Lando was perhaps pushing a bit too hard because Oscar proved to be a bigger challenge than expected compared to last year. Now Lando has adapted and is driving at his best again, doing a good job. His win was fairly dominant,” he explained.
Impact of the Virtual Safety Car in Mexico
Otmar Szafnauer believes the Virtual Safety Car in the Mexican Grand Prix prevented both Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen from attempting overtakes on Oliver Bearman and Charles Leclerc. However, those maneuvers would have carried significant risks. “It’s extremely tight. Without the VSC, Max would have tried to overtake Leclerc. At the same time, Oscar would have tried on Oliver Bearman, but Max would have been more willing to take a risk, while Oscar would have been more cautious. If Oscar had made contact, he could have lost all the points. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, and now the championship situation is extremely close,” Otmar Szafnauer concluded.
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