- Lead over Max Verstappen has been shaved to just 40 points
Oscar Piastri could be sitting on an almost unassailable lead in the Formula One world championship had McLaren chosen to back him as their number one driver earlier in the season.
The Australian has led the standings since round five in Saudi Arabia but has seen his advantage over Max Verstappen cut from more than 100 points at mid-season to just 40 after the United States Grand Prix.
McLaren has insisted on keeping equal status between Piastri and Lando Norris but that decision has opened the door for Verstappen to launch an unlikely title charge.
Recalculations of key races suggest a very different picture if Piastri had been prioritised.
At Monza, a slow Norris pit stop dropped him behind Piastri when team orders could have locked in extra points.
In Singapore, McLaren later conceded Norris was at fault in a clash with his teammate.
Australian driver Oscar Piastri has seen his lead eroded to just 40 points after a series of incidents through the season
McLaren has been accused of favouring driver Lando Norris, despite Piastri having the superior record
Under a one driver policy Piastri would have been awarded the place and a bigger buffer.
Earlier races in Hungary, Silverstone and Imola also presented opportunities for the team to lean in his favour.
Had those decisions gone the other way Piastri would now be around 60 points clear of Norris and 63 ahead of Verstappen instead of seeing his lead steadily reduced.
That gap would have left him almost certain to secure the championship with several rounds to spare.
It also would mean Norris would be battling hard to hold onto second place with Verstappen breathing down his neck.
The scenario has drawn comparisons to McLaren’s 2007 campaign when Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso took points from each other before Kimi Räikkönen stole the title in the final race.
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has acknowledged the risk but says the team wants both drivers to have the chance to fight for the championship.
‘If you have two drivers like in 2007, where they equalled in points and Kimi barely beat them,’ he said.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown knows there is an element of risk but wants both drivers to compete for the championship
Team principal Andrea Stella said things could change depending on the mathematics towards the back end of the season
‘But that’s how McLaren want to go racing. We want to have two drivers that are capable of winning the championship.
‘On the flip side, when you get into one and two [drivers], that compromises your constructors championship. So it’s a difficult sport.
‘Where we sit right now, we’re going to give both drivers equal opportunity to try and win the drivers championship.
‘We’re racers. We want to go racing. We want both drivers to have a chance to win the championship, and that comes with some risk, like 2007. But we’re all aware of that and prepared that that could potentially be an outcome.’
Team principal Andrea Stella has also said any call to prioritise one driver will only be made if the mathematics demand it.
‘We review our approach constantly, but we are a long way from being in condition to say that we are going to prioritise one driver over the other, especially as long as the chances are realistic for both drivers.’
