Piastri and Norris vie for the spoils but plot thickens elsewhere

McLaren dominate the fight at the top but other points of intrigue abound as racing returns after summer break

- Giles Richards

Revitalised after the summer break, 10 races remain between this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix and the finale in Abu Dhabi in December - and it will be Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris going for the title.

Only nine points separate the McLaren duo, who are in a two-horse race for the team's first drivers' championship since Lewis Hamilton's triumph in 2008. The advantage has swung between them in the first part of the season, often with little to choose between the two. Neither driver has been able to definitively claim the upper hand entering the championship run-in. It looks set to remain a nip-and-tuck fight to the wire.

Piastri came out on top in the early phases, his calm control edging out Norris, who made errors as he pushed a car that is not quite to his liking. McLaren have been determined to give both drivers an equal shot, insisting they will not employ team orders, a policy which can be expected to continue until (and if) one of their drivers claims an unassailable advantage.

Piastri's and Norris's relationship has remained friendly, with some hard but fair racing and only one coming together in Canada, for which Norris held up his hands. However, as the stakes rise, it should be an enthralling affair.