With six races remaining in the 2024 F1 season, the race for the Driver's Championship is still well and truly alive.
Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen leads the standings with 331 championship points - 52 ahead of Lando Norris from McLaren, on 279.
If Norris is to overtake Verstappen he would have to take an average of six points from the remaining six grand prix and sprint races to become the drivers champion.
If Norris was to win all of the remaining races - with an extra point for the fastest lap - the Briton would need Verstappen to finish second or lower in each grand prix and no higher than third in the remaining sprints.
Norris is fresh off a victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, with McLaren experiencing a rich run of form, winning four of the last six races.
Max Verstappen has not won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
As the F1 season races to its conclusion, the Oscar Piastri factor grows ever strongerย
The Aussie young gun has taken two victories in his second season with the papaya - including a heroic performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which Karun Chandhok declared the โperfect driveโ on Sky f1.ย
Former F1 team principal, Flavio Briatore has described Piastri as a future โworld champion,โ on the Formula For Success podcast.
Norris and Piastri recently came to blows at the Italian Grand Prix, with the Aussie forcing Norris off the track during the opening lap for the lead of the race. Piastri also took points off Norris during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with the Aussie claiming his second victory of the season.ย
McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella has confirmed the team would โbias our support to Lando,โ to further his chances of a debut championship.
Piastri has said he would support his teammate, publicly acknowledging he must accept his supporting role in the team.
โSelfishly as a driver, I have my own interests, and team orders are not that fun, but in saying that, I realise there is a big, bigger picture here than just myself,โ he said.
โIt's not just about me, and I am happy to play a supporting role.โย
In contrast, Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, has been anything but consistent. The Mexican has failed to beat Verstappen for over a year at a grand prix, dating all the way back to Baku in April 2023.ย
If Norris is to usurp Verstappen's dominance in the final six races, the McLaren driver may need Perez to take points off the Dutchman.
History also doesn't favour Norris. The largest points deficit to win the championship was Sebastian Vettel in 2012, overcoming a 39-point deficit with seven races remaining.ย
Norris overcoming a 52-point deficit would be unprecedented in F1 history.ย
Regardless, if it's mathematically possible, then F1 fans can still believe - with Norris the last hope against a rampaging Verstappen and a fourth championship.ย
The United States Grand Prix gets underway at the Circuit of the Americas, on October 21 at 6 am.ย
