F1 News
Sparks fly in F1: Will the McLaren/Red Bull tensions boil over in Brazil?
Tensions are boiling over in Formula 1 between Red Bull, McLaren and arguably the stewards office. Meanwhile, Ferrari are mounting a late surge for the F1 Constructors' Championship and will aim to do the same at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Lando Norris will be attempting to reduce his gap to Max Verstappen in the Drivers' World Championship yet again but is now approaching the do-or-die phase.
Pressure is mounting in key areas in Formula 1
Norris now has a 47-point gap to Verstappen, and while he gained on Verstappen in Mexico, it's becoming less and less likely the British driver will be able to win overall. The average number of points he needs to reduce the gap by increased. With four Grands Prix and two sprint races left on the schedule, Norris pretty much needs Verstappen to have a DNF of some kind. Norris needs to take 12 points out of Verstappen's lead every weekend. Even if Norris wins all four Grands Prix, Verstappen can get away with finishing third. If Norris finishes second at all Grands Prix, he will then need Verstappen to finish around 6th-7th, depending on the sprint races and fastest lap bonus points.
And it seems unlikely Norris will win all four Grands Prix due to the late surge from Ferrari. They have won the last two races in Formula 1 and has, so far, outscored Red Bull and McLaren combined in this triple header period. Just 29 points separate McLaren and Ferrari. The pressure will be on both teams, but perhaps more so on Oscar Piastri. He has struggled to get close to Lando Norris in recent weeks and has cost McLaren dearly.
But there is even more pressure on Red Bull's second driver, Sergio Perez. As GPblog reported this week, Red Bull is seriously considering replacing the Mexican after the Brazilian Grand Prix. If he fails again, the decision will only become easier for Christian Horner and Helmut Marko. But can a broken Perez even straighten his back after months of setbacks?
New asphalt in Brazil
The track in Sao Paulo has been given a new layer of asphalt, which makes finding the right set-up an extra challenge for all teams. It is also a sprint race weekend, so teams will get less time before the meaningful sessions start. However, there's an argument to suggest it provides them with better preparation for Grand Prix qualifying for the main event on Sunday, especially now Parc Ferme rules are lifted between the Saturday sessions.
Another uncertain factor is the weather. A look at the weather forecast for Sunday shows that there is a chance that it will rain during the Grand Prix. And if it rains in Sao Paulo, it will rain well.