F1 insider

In a see-saw season for McLaren's drivers, the F1 title is now Lando's to lose. KARUN CHANDHOK charts an incredible turn of fortune

- KARUN CHANDHOK

The Formula 1 circus has climbed aboard BA 1246 from São Paulo heading back to London Heathrow. Everyone around me is looking forward to the last weekend off before the gruelling triple header that will first take everyone west to Las Vegas and then a long way across to the Middle East for the season climax in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

There’s a real sense of ‘what could have been’ in the Red Bull camp who are across the aisle from me on the plane, while I feel relief from Team Lando who have come away from a tough weekend with a faultless pair of races and 33 points, and Mercedes sitting a couple of rows ahead feel satisfied and vindicated that their rookie delivered his most accomplished weekend of the year. We truly are a travelling circus!

The two biggest talking points from the weekend were of course the intra McLaren battle with Oscar Piastri dropping more points and Max Verstappen having another roller-coaster weekend in Brazil. This was the first time in his F1 career that the Dutchman had ever been knocked out in Q1 on pure pace. It was undoubtedly the biggest shock of qualifying, coming just two races after he utterly dominated in Austin.