From title contender to wingman: is this the fate awaiting Norris?
Lando Norris' title-win ambitions risk coming under serious threat from Max Verstappen.
It might seem that, with six races remaining and Verstappen still 63 points adrift, the Drivers’ Championship is a battle confined to the two McLaren drivers.
However, even if the Dutchman fails to mount a full comeback in pursuit of a fifth consecutive crown, he could still prove instrumental in shaping how the title is ultimately decided.
The four-time world champion currently has nothing to lose — unlike Norris and Piastri, who are now entering the most intense phase of a title battle that, barring any major surprises, could be settled in the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
While both McLaren drivers still hold a healthy advantage over Verstappen, neither seems entirely at ease with the idea of going head-to-head on track.
In recent races, it has become increasingly clear that the “third man” factor is beginning to weigh on both their minds — a factor likely to grow even stronger if the RB21 continues to match the MCL39’s pace as it has in recent weeks.
While it’s true that Verstappen still has plenty of ground to make up — especially on Piastri — another great weekend for Red Bull Racing and another tough outing for McLaren would put even more pressure on the papaya outfit.
McLaren caught between two fires in the title fight
The papaya team could then find itself almost inevitably forced to make a choice and throw its full support behind the driver with the best chance of securing the title.
That choice would naturally fall on Piastri, leaving Norris, however unwillingly, in the role of a sacrificial teammate. From potential title contender to reluctant wingman — a scenario that, while still unlikely, can no longer be entirely ruled out.
A scenario that the Briton could find himself reluctantly forced to accept in order to preserve the team’s interests and maintain harmony within McLaren — especially after what happened in Singapore, where Piastri was visibly frustrated by the wheel-to-wheel contact resulting from his teammate's bold overtake and by the team’s decision not to hand the position back.
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Neither driver can afford another misstep — least of all one caused by yet another clash between them — with Verstappen ready to seize on any opportunity that comes his way from now until the end of the season, determined to keep the title fight alive for as long as possible.
Although the Verstappen threat is now looming large, with the Dutchman just 41 points behind, Norris must keep his focus firmly ahead and avoid worrying about what’s happening behind him. Still, he’s the one who would stand to lose the most should a third contender insert himself into the title fight.
Should Piastri follow Hamilton’s advice?
At McLaren, the team is fast approaching a point of no return. The so-called papaya rules will become increasingly difficult to enforce as the remaining races tick down, and with only six rounds left, none of the contenders can afford to waste opportunities — or points.
Even the seven-time world champion weighed in on what happened between the two papaya drivers in Singapore, offering Piastri some advice drawn from his own experience of fighting for a championship against a teammate.
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