Lando Norris’ umpteenth last bullet

Twenty-six days after the last Grand Prix, Formula One returns to action with the United States GP and gives the British Lando Norris and in his team, McLaren, the -umpteenth- last bullet that hit the Dutchman (Red Bull), that team has already seized the lead in the Constructors’ World Championship.

With six circuits remaining until the end of the year, Verstappen leads the classification with 52 more points than Lando Norris, who has 279that, though accumulating two wins in the last four racesdid not greatly reduce the advantage of the triple world champion, which minimized the damage, and also the risks, and got the maximum from the Austrian car.

However, this Americas layout, with 5,513 meters and which will be completed 56 times on Sunday to complete 308,405 km, will give Norris a chance to get up to 33 points -34 if he also completes the fastest lap- because beyond the Sunday race, there will be a sprint race on Saturday which will reduce the weekend to just one free practice session.

McLaren’s dominance, with incredible development over timedid not translate into the second half of the year in a greedy pursuit of Verstappen, who despite going eight grands prix without achieving victory – something completely unprecedented in the last five years – managed to keep his distance.

In fact, if the Dutchman is second in the remaining six grand prix and Norris will be the champion of them all, Verstappen he will win his fourth Drivers’ World Cup, so McLaren now needs the Australian’s help Oscar Piastriwho, now, knows that team orders include prioritizing Norris over his individual performance.

This gives McLaren the opportunity to focus on Austin (Texas, USA) to continue to reduce the advantage over Verstappen and, in the process, increase the 31 point difference between the Austrian team (475 points) and the British team (516) in the Constructors’ World Championship.

However, it requires a good Oscar Piastriwhich was no longer enough to be third, but had to try to overtake both Verstappen and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).

Sainz, Alonso, Pérez and Colapinto, should not be overlooked

Stopping Piastri is the goal, in addition to Red Bull, of the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). Prepared for his last six races at Ferrari, a team where he spent the last four years where he competed head-to-head with Leclerc, The Madrid native remains fifth in the World Championship, with 190 points, and although behind him is the ‘heir’ of his car, the British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), with 174eager to take fourth position from the rising Piastri with 237 points.

However, these last races not only mean a farewell for Sainz, but also a proving before Williams of the driver coming next year to the British team to put to rest any doubts that the Argentine’s excellent performance may have caused Franco Colapinto (Williams), a breath of fresh air in the middle zone of the grid.

His self-confidence in front of the cameras is the same as he reflects on the asphalt and proof of this is the eighth position achieved in Bakuhis second Grand Prix in Formula One, his twelfth position on his debut or eleventh place in Singapore almost a month ago today.

Don’t ignore it. That’s what Colapinto has achieved and, in some ways, it’s the same challenge that Mexican ‘Checo’ Pérez has. Eighth in the drivers’ championship, the last place reserved for the four teams that dominate the championship, the Mexican needs to score points and do well at this circuit and next weekend in Mexico.

Otherwise, the classification threatens to leave him ‘in media res’ between the middle zone of the grid and the upper zone, as Mercedes, which has already passed him in the classification, seeks to fight Sainz or Piastri , but don’t stay behind in the last races of the year.

So, rejoining the top seven will create a huge difference in the lower-middle zone of the grid, led by Asturian Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) with 62 pointsmore than eighty behind Pérez but more than doubling the 24 points of German Nico Hulkenberg (Haas).

Worried more about the 2025 car and not about the performance of his Aston Martin this year, which has no chance of winning, Alonso focused on staying ahead of the other twelveleaving Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari, all out of reach, in their wars to try to seal ninth place in the standings.

Therefore, his challenge is, as in the entire lower-middle zone of the grid, not to be overlooked in a race that will help decide the championship for Verstappen or lead to reduced points for Norris, who If he wants to stalk Verstappen he not only needs help from his teammate, but also to be solid throughout the weekend.