Chasing Verstappen: McLaren’s Bold Hopes Meet the US Grand Prix

Race context and what’s at stake

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris head to the United States Grand Prix at Austin with Max Verstappen looming in the rearview. The 19th round of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship unfolds on the Circuit of the Americas, where the trio’s battle could peak as the season heads toward its finale. The two McLaren drivers are separated by only 22 points, while Verstappen trails Piastri by 63 points and arrives with renewed confidence after beating them in the last three races.

Verstappen has transformed what seemed impossible into a renewed possibility, keeping his title bid alive in the late-season sprint. His momentum makes the Austin weekend not just another race but a potential turning point in the championship narrative, with the Dutchman aiming to add another chapter to a season defined by late charges.

Canadian former world champion Jacques Villeneuve even suggested Verstappen could secure one of the greatest titles of his career if he maintains this stretch, telling Italian media that the Dutchman’s prospects look bright as the pressure tightens on McLaren.

Form, pressure and team dynamics

Inside McLaren, the dynamic between Norris and Piastri remains a focal point. The two drivers are feeling the pressure of a title race that is now very much alive, while Verstappen enters Austin having shown strong form in the three races prior. McLaren have not introduced significant updates to their car in recent weeks, facing a heavily revised Red Bull that has generally looked the stronger package on the track this season.

The additional speed of the Red Bull adds to the tension around the event, with the weekend’s speed trials and race pace likely to define the outcome as the season’s concluding races approach. Verstappen has appeared on the podium in the last four outings, and his Austin track record is solid, having won three of the last four races there. McLaren, despite a recent dip, still carried constructors’ momentum into Singapore where they clinched the title for the team—an achievement that adds a different layer of pressure as they seek to translate pace into results on Sunday.

"Our strategy will not change just because we won the constructors’ title. We approach this race as we do all the others," said McLaren chief engineer or team leader (paraphrased). Norris starts from a strong place at Austin, having topped a qualifying session there last year before finishing fourth; he understands that beating both Piastri and Verstappen is essential if he is to keep the title bid alive. Piastri, coming into the weekend after not standing on the podium in the last three races, is chasing a repeat of his best Austin performance from last year, where a fifth place remains his best result at the track after a 2023 incident.

Weekend schedule and last year’s echoes

Ferrari drama continues to swirl around the paddock, with speculation about leadership and potential changes circulating as the team seeks to regain form. Ferrari’s driver lineup remains a focal point as the team works to extract more from the car and halt this season’s negative run, while Mercedes looks to build on a recent win by George Russell in Singapore and secure continued competitiveness alongside renewed contracts for Russell and young Italian talent Kalib Antonelli through 2026.

As the United States Grand Prix approaches, Austin’s weekend schedule unfolds with free practice on Friday 17 October, followed by a rapid-fire qualifiers session on Saturday and the main race on Sunday 19 October. The race’s layout and the field’s balance of performance promise a gripping contest as teams react to the various strategic options that this track typically demands.

Last year’s race was won by Charles Leclerc for Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz second and Verstappen third. Norris started from pole but finished fourth after a late drop in position, and Piastri ended up fifth, with Perez sixth, Russell seventh, Hulkenberg eighth, Liam Lawson ninth and Franco Colapinto tenth the list of the top ten finishers. All eyes will be on how this season’s contenders replicate—or rewrite—those results under the Austin lights.

Final note from the pit wall: the tension is high and the stage is set for a weekend where margins will be slim, and every lap could tilt the championship one way or the other. The two McLarens want to complicate Verstappen’s title narrative; Verstappen wants to keep his momentum intact; and the rest of the field will hope to capitalize on any misstep.

Punchline time: If Verstappen’s season keeps sprinting like this, the stopwatch might file a complaint for excessive speed. Punchline two: McLaren’s plan is so secret that even the coffee in the garage is on a need-to-know basis—spoiler: the answer is “soon, maybe.”