Lando Norris arrives in Las Vegas this week brimming with confidence. He secured back-to-back wins and now controls the Formula One championship. The British driver eyes his maiden title.
Norris holds a 24-point lead over McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. This commanding position follows a remarkable turnaround in form heading into Sunday’s race.
Australian Piastri led by 34 points after winning the Dutch Grand Prix on 31 August. However, he has failed to secure even one podium finish across five recent races.
Norris discovered consistency at the perfect moment. He followed his pole-position victory in Mexico with sprint success. Then he claimed another race win from the grid’s front in São Paulo.
No driver has squandered such a substantial lead with three races remaining. This statistic holds true since officials changed the points-scoring system in 2010.
The 26-year-old refuses to take anything for granted yet.
“They’re strong results, exactly what I need,” he said in Brazil. “I’m fighting for this every weekend and every day. I’m pleased, but there’s still distance to cover. No point celebrating too early.”
Norris cannot secure the world championship crown this weekend. However, he could end Max Verstappen’s title defence.
The four-time defending champion charged back into contention recently. Verstappen now trails by 49 points despite his thrilling third-place finish two weeks ago. He started that race from the pit lane.
Verstappen will unlikely surrender without fierce resistance. A Norris victory would officially end Verstappen’s hopes if he finishes third or lower.
“We must be realistic,” said the Dutchman. “Over the whole season, we haven’t performed well enough. We’ll keep trying to win races and observe what happens.”
Piastri still threatens Norris’s bid to become Britain’s 11th Formula One world champion most significantly.
He showed signs of rediscovering his pace in São Paulo. Unfortunately, a controversial 10-second penalty ultimately undermined his efforts.
Even Charles Leclerc expressed sympathy for Piastri’s situation. Leclerc retired due to the incident in question. Piastri finished fifth when a podium seemed achievable.
Piastri matches Norris with seven victories this season. He still has time to catch his teammate but must act swiftly.
Only race weekends in Doha and Abu Dhabi remain after Vegas. Doha includes a sprint race as well.
“I’ll extract maximum potential from every opportunity,” said Piastri. “I’m focusing on mastering these challenges. I want the best weekends possible.”
Ferrari endured a disastrous race at Interlagos. Both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton failed to finish the event.
Hamilton described the weekend as a “nightmare” experience. Ferrari president John Elkann subsequently told his drivers to focus on racing, not talking.
Ferrari remains in contention for second place in the constructors’ standings. They need a substantial performance week in Vegas.
Mercedes leads fourth-placed Ferrari by 36 points. Red Bull sits just four points closer to Ferrari.
The Silver Arrows will likely stretch their advantage in this mini-battle. They secured a one-two finish in Las Vegas last year. George Russell and Hamilton delivered that triumph.
