"With the shadow of Max Verstappen now looming larger than ever, McLaren's double disqualification in Las Vegas will have revived a question that has dogged McLaren throughout the "Papaya rules" era: is it time to back one driver over the other to win the title? Verstappen's big win on the casino-lined roads of Sin City initially looked to have simply kept him in Formula 1's championship fight, but McLaren's technical violation that followed moved Verstappen right into the rearview mirror."
"That is nightmare fuel for a team that all year long has had to live with the nagging voice in the back of its head that maybe, just maybe, it is about to repeat the events of 2007 and have two battling teammates hand the drivers' championship to another team on a silver platter. Vegas has made that prospect feel more real than ever, even if Lando Norris should still be viewed as a fairly comfortable favorite."
"Norris goes into the Qatar Grand Prix, a sprint weekend with 33 points available, 24 points ahead of both Verstappen and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris can win the title by finishing third at all three of the remaining races: Qatar's sprint on Saturday, Qatar's main race on Sunday and the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Dec. 7. He can secure the title by outscoring Verstapen and Piastri by two points over the course of the weekend."
McLaren's double disqualification in Las Vegas and Max Verstappen's strengthened presence have intensified pressure on team strategy. The team faces the risk of repeating 2007, when internal rivalry cost a championship. Lando Norris leads by 24 points over Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri with three races remaining, including a sprint weekend in Qatar offering 33 points. Norris can clinch the title by finishing third in each remaining contest or by outscoring Verstapen and Piastri by two points over the Qatar weekend. Debates have emerged about whether McLaren should explicitly favor Norris to secure the drivers' championship.
Read at ESPN.com
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