Hope is being utterly blown in the F1 title fight right now, from one brilliant Dutchman. Max Verstappen’s three wins in four races have got him back into contention now that Red Bull has sorted its car out.
His relentless, combative nature means he won’t stop coming until mathematically out of contention or crowned for a fifth time. Lando Norris really isn’t doing too bad either.
But Oscar Piastri is wilting — his ice-cool championship story shattered in the Baku barriers and then broke for good at the Austin sprint start that unleashed the chaos that took out both McLarens.
If he does hold on, it won’t be a title story for the ages. That would go to Verstappen if he pulls it off.
And this is all turning into a thrilling season denouement I just couldn’t have predicted walking out of Zandvoort at August’s end, when Piastri had edged Norris before his teammate’s engine issue had seemingly ended the title fight.