“This weekend, other than Baku, has actually been the primary weekend the place it has been a let down.”
– Sky Sports activities F1
Having certified P6 the Australian struggled to make a lot significant progress all through the race save for the overtake on George Russell initially forcing the championship to accept a fifth place end.
Title rivals Verstappen and Norris secured first and second, persevering with a streak of races which have seen Piastri’s lead within the championship slashed considerably.
Max Verstappen took a dominant victory in Austin – Picture: Marco Miltenburg, RacePictures
Piastri’s dip in efficiency because the summer time break
Piastri’s final victory got here on August thirty first on the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, however the Australian has since struggled to compete for wins.
Within the Italian Grand Prix, Piastri solely managed a 3rd place end, as Norris reached the chequered flag in P2 with Verstappen profitable in a dominant trend.
In the meantime, Verstappen received the race in Baku and got here residence in P2 on the Marina Bay Road Circuit, making additional headway within the standings.
Lando Norris collided with Oscar Piastri initially of the Singapore GP. Picture: RacePictures.
Verstappen wins massive as McLaren falters
Within the early a part of the season, it appeared that McLaren have been set to dominate at most circuits. Nonetheless, because the summer time break, the group have solely managed to win the race in Zandvoort.
Coming into final weekend’s U.S Grand Prix, Verstappen was 63-points down on Piastri within the championship, and wanted to outscore the Australian by an honest margin for his championship aspirations to proceed on to Mexico.
Qualifying on pole for the dash race which noticed each McLaren drivers retire after a Lap 1, Flip 1 melee, allowed the Dutchman to deduct a full 8 factors from Piastri’s hole in a single swipe.
Oscar Piastri making contact with Nico Hulkenberg – Picture: Race Photos
Verstappen adopted up with pole place for the race and an authoritative win beneath the Texas solar that noticed Norris take P2 after a race-long combat with Charles Leclerc, as Piastri might solely muster a P5 end result, shedding one other 15 factors to Verstappen and an extra 8 factors to Norris.
Piastri beginning to really feel the strain?
While Verstappen has scored 119 factors from a most potential of 133 factors over the past 5 Grands Prix weekends, Piastri compared has solely managed to attain 62 factors.
Oscar Piastri at the US GP – Picture: Race Photos
Is Oscar Piastri starting to really feel the strain? That is the Australian’s third season in Components One, and he has been main the championship since April.
Nonetheless, regardless of main the championship for a lot of the season, Norris is as shut as ever with Verstappen bringing himself again into the title combat decisively.
Because the season’s drawing to an in depth the stakes are as excessive as ever, and it’s as much as Piastri to step up and rack up the outcomes his automobile can present and seal the title. It is a defining second for the championship chief and maybe he is aware of it too.
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