P1racenews AI automatic summary:
While the McLaren drivers currently sit first and second in the drivers’ championship, Max Verstappen has dramatically closed the gap in recent rounds.
Former F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes that Max Verstappen will not pull off a surprising victory and beat both McLaren drivers to the championship. Verstappen is currently 36 points behind the championship lead, a significant improvement from being 104 points behind just a few races ago. Szafnauer sees the McLaren duo, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as the main contenders for the title and predicts that one of them will emerge victorious by minimizing mistakes and failures. Although Verstappen is considered the best driver in the field, Szafnauer emphasizes the importance of consistency and strategy in securing the championship. The VSC deployment in Mexico impacted potential late-race position changes for both Verstappen and Piastri, highlighting the varying risk levels in their pursuit of crucial points. Szafnauer notes that the championship battle is tight, with every move and decision playing a critical role in determining the ultimate winner.
