Piastri’s lead is now 22 points to Norris and 63 points to Verstappen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren \u2014 336Lando Norris (GBR), McLaren \u2014 314Max Verstappen (NED), Red Bull \u2014 273<\/p>\n
Piastri is in the best position as we enter the final quarter of the season, but his recent form has reduced his lead.<\/p>\n
Norris is the main threat to the Australian, with the British driver close enough to take the championship lead should he win in the next round and Piastri has a poor outing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Verstappen, overhauling 63 points in six rounds is a big ask. The 41-point deficit to Norris is also a tough task.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Verstappen would need to drive at his absolute best and have a bit of luck fall his way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fortunately for the Dutchman, that is what has happened in the past three race weekends.<\/p>\n
Verstappen has finished ahead of both McLaren drivers in the past three races, winning in Italy and Azerbaijan, then placing second in Singapore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What are the final six races of the F1 season?United States Grand Prix (Austin) Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Team Spain drives in Practice Session 1 at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.(Reuters: Imagn Images\/Jay Janner)<\/p>\n
F1’s second trip of three excursions into the United States is in Austin, Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Circuit of the Americas has become a popular race since its introduction in 2012.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Piastri has a best result of fifth in his two races there, while Norris has managed to get onto the podium.<\/p>\n
Verstappen has won in Austin on three occasions.<\/p>\n
The Circuit of the Americas sometimes looks like a homage to other great racing tracks around the world.<\/p>\n
Illustration of the Circuit of The Americas in Texas, United States.(F1)<\/p>\n
Turns three to six are reminiscent of the high-speed run through Maggots and Becketts\u00a0at Silverstone in the UK, and the famous S curves driven at Suzuka in Japan.<\/p>\n
Further in the lap, turns 12 to 15 are similar to the stadium section in Hockenheim, Germany.<\/p>\n
Turn one is a unique corner, however.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A steep uphill run along the start-finish straight leads to a tight left-hand hairpin where drivers can overtake on the inside and outside line.<\/p>\n
Oscar Piastri’s best finish: fifth (2024)Lando Norris’s best finish: second (2023)Max Verstappen’s best finish: first (2021, 2022, 2023)Sprint race start time: Sunday, October 18, 4am AEDTGrand prix start time: Monday, October 20, 6am AEDTMexico City Grand Prix Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – October 29, 2023 A fan dressed for the day of the dead is pictured in the stands during the race(Reuters: Raquel Cunha)<\/p>\n
The Mexico City Grand Prix is unlike any other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The colour and passion in the crowd is unmatched anywhere in the world. And the location is high \u2026 very high.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Aut\u00f3dromo Hermanos Rodr\u00edguez is more than 2,000 metres above sea level, providing a unique challenge for teams as the reduced air density at high altitude affects aerodynamic performance and means engines can overheat more quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Norris was second in last year’s grand prix, while Piastri managed eighth. The Australian rued a poor qualifying session after being fastest in practice just hours earlier<\/a>.<\/p>\n Verstappen has been a master of the altitude, winning in Mexico City on five occasions.<\/p>\n The start-finish straight provided the best chance for overtaking, with trailing cars benefiting from a long drag reduction system (DRS) section into the first turn.<\/p>\n A winding section from turns seven\u00a0to 11 will test the stability of each car and the handling of the drivers.<\/p>\n Turns 13 and 14 go through a massive grandstand section that provides one of the most unique viewing sights in F1.<\/p>\n Oscar Piastri’s best finish: eighth (2024)Lando Norris’s best finish: second (2024)Max Verstappen’s best finish: first (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023)Grand prix start time: Monday, October 20, 7am AEDTS\u00e3o Paulo Grand Prix (Brazil) The S\u00e3o Paulo Grand Prix, formerly known as the Brazilian Grand Prix, is one of the most famous races on the F1 calendar.\u00a0<\/p>\n The famed Aut\u00f3dromo Jos\u00e9 Carlos Pace, in the neighbourhood of Interlagos, has been a scene of many dramatic moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n The drivers’ championship has been won at Interlagos six times, while Verstappen’s brilliant drive in the wet last year all but sealed his fourth title and ended Norris’s genuine chance.<\/p>\n Norris has a best grand prix finish of second, while Piastri has only managed eighth in two attempts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Norris won the sprint race at Interlagos in 2024.<\/p>\n Verstappen is a three-time winner at Interlagos.<\/p>\n The track is completed in quick time and features plenty of challenges for drivers.<\/p>\n The Senna S \u2014 turns one and two named after legendary champion Ayrton Senna \u2014 is sharp and downhill and comes at the end of the start-finish straight.<\/p>\n This is often the best place to overtake on the race track.<\/p>\n Turn four, a sharp left-hander at the end of the circuit’s other straight, is another opportunity for overtaking.<\/p>\n The rest of the lap is full of sweeping turns and hard braking zones, providing a test for the driver and machine.<\/p>\n Oscar Piastri’s best finish: eighth (2024)Lando Norris’s best finish: second (2023)Max Verstappen’s best finish: first (2019, 2023, 2024)Sprint race start time: Sunday, November 9, 1am AEDTGrand prix start time: Monday, November 10, 4am AEDTLas Vegas Grand Prix The third and final excursion into the United States is the Las Vegas Grand Prix.<\/p>\n This year will be the third running of the race, held on the famed streets of Las Vegas.<\/p>\n McLaren has failed to reach the podium in Vegas, with Norris (sixth) and Piastri (seventh) securing their best results last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Verstappen was the inaugural winner of the race in 2023.<\/p>\n Despite being a street circuit, drivers will produce average speeds similar to Monza during this grand prix.\u00a0<\/p>\n The best overtaking spot is into the chicane at turns 14 and 15, at the end of the lap’s second DRS zone which is located on a long straight, which in reality begins at turn 12.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are tight and narrow sections which must be treated with respect, or a driver’s race could end prematurely.\u00a0<\/p>\n The outline of the circuit looks like a pig lying on the ground with its legs in the air.<\/p>\n Oscar Piastri’s best finish: seventh (2024)Lando Norris’s best finish: sixth (2024)Max Verstappen’s best finish: first (2023)Grand prix start time: Sunday, November 22, 3pm AEDTQatar Grand Prix Qatar has been a strong track for Piastri.<\/p>\n He won the sprint race in both 2023 and 2024 and has been on the podium in both grands prix.<\/p>\n Norris is no slouch either, with a best grand prix finish of third in 2023.<\/p>\n Verstappen is a two-time winner in Qatar, triumphing in the previous two editions of the race.<\/p>\n The Lusail International Circuit was built with motorcycle racing as its primary focus.<\/p>\n Hosting its first MotoGP race in 2004, it is a fast and flowing track that is\u00a0well suited to bikes.<\/p>\n Medium to high-speed corners are the defining features of the circuit, a tough challenge for any driver who is on older tyres.<\/p>\n The triple right-hand turns of corners 12 to 14 will really test the stability and downforce of any F1 car.<\/p>\n The best overtaking spot is turn one, after the long straight which stretches more than 1km.<\/p>\n Oscar Piastri’s best finish: second (2023)Lando Norris’s best finish: third (2023)Max Verstappen’s best finish: first (2023, 2024)Sprint race start time: Sunday, November 30, 1am AEDTGrand prix start time: Monday, December 1, 3am AEDTAbu Dhabi Grand Prix Abu Dhabi is no stranger to title deciders, and it could be on the verge of another in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n On four occasions (2010, 2014, 2016 and 2021), the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has hosted a season finale with the drivers’ championship still up for grabs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Only once, in 2010, has the driver leading the championship entering the grand prix not become the world champion.<\/p>\n Illustration of the Aut\u00f3dromo Hermanos Rodr\u00edguez, hosting the F1 Mexican Grand Prix.(F1)<\/p>\n
Formula 1 F1 – Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Sao Paulo, Brazil – November 2, 2024 McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and McLaren’s Lando Norris in action during the sprint race.(Reuters: Carla Carniel)<\/p>\n
Illustration of the Aut\u00f3dromo Jos\u00e9 Carlos Pace, hosting the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.(F1)<\/p>\n
Formula 1 F1 – Las Vegas Grand Prix – Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States – November 21, 2024 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during practice.(Reuters: Mike Blake)<\/p>\n
An illustration of the street circuit that will host the 2025 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.(Supplied: F1)<\/p>\n
Formula 1 F1 – Qatar Grand Prix – Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar – December 1, 2024 McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in action during the race.(Reuters: Hamad I Mohammed)<\/p>\n
The Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.(F1)<\/p>\n
Formula 1 F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 8, 2024 McLaren’s Lando Norris passes the chequered flag waved by tennis player Jannik Sinner to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.(Reuters: Hamad I Mohammed)<\/p>\n