Showdown at O.K. Corral Among McLaren's Outlaws

It is perplexing that, at this stage of the championship, there are still doubts about who is the leading driver at McLaren. Both drivers are mathematically in contention for the title alongside Max Verstappen, who has clawed back significant points in recent races, George Russell, whose consistency and regularity have been rewarded with a renewal that was long overdue, and Charles Leclerc, who, despite the slippery nature of walking in Ferrari's shoes, remains in the mix. Oscar Piastri, the championship leader since the start of the season, would be the choice for nine out of ten team principals, but the issue for them—and a blessing for fans—is that Andrea Stella is the wildcard.

McLaren has never been adept at managing two winning drivers, a fact that has gone from being a cliché to a law written in stone with the weight of history they carry. Pure gold for Verstappen, who is eager to exhaust his options in this final stretch of the season, which features three sprint weekends, starting in Austin this Saturday. They enter this showdown with a 22-point advantage for the Australian. Lando Norris would need an almost perfect weekend to snatch the lead from Piastri, something that seems difficult given his recent inconsistency. However, the Briton is confident in turning the situation around, especially if, as everything suggests, the dice roll in his favour once again. McLaren has encountered a Piastri too untameable for what they expected, and Norris has not shown the superiority they hoped for.

The debate over who should lead McLaren to their first drivers' world championship since Lewis Hamilton should be settled, if not this weekend, then by the next. Both have demonstrated qualities and provided arguments, and the Texan track is perfect for this. The widest 'tilkedrome' on the calendar will allow for some fighting, at least on paper. The performance of the cars may be affected by the extremely high heat expected, unusual for this time of year even in those latitudes, which could be a factor to consider. The drivers will need to give extra effort to ensure their physical endurance does not suffer, so surprises should not be ruled out.

Barring an unforeseen surprise, Fernando Alonso will struggle much more than in Singapore to score points. Repeating or improving the seventh place achieved two Sundays ago seems unlikely on a track that does not suit the AMR25's capabilities and Aston Martin in general—at least until Adrian Newey takes the reins. Since Alonso joined the Silverstone team, he has never scored here, although in 2023 he had to retire due to car damage after a collision, and his teammate Lance Stroll finished in a more than decent seventh position. Everything points to this year in Austin showcasing all that is wrong with Aston Martin: low top speed, struggles with high aerodynamic load, and serious traction issues.

Somewhat more optimistic, though not overly confident, is Carlos Sainz. The Madrid native is experiencing a relatively sweet moment, having outperformed his teammate in the last two races. The podium in Azerbaijan has given wings to the Spaniard, who is eager to extend this good streak at the American circuit. He has a golden opportunity to continue this way for the rest of the season, although in Austin he may not have such favourable conditions to fight head-to-head against his direct rivals. The parity in the midfield could play to his advantage if he knows how to play his cards right and, above all, knows where to take risks. As in all sprint format grands prix, it is not worth taking risks on Saturday in the short race, being aware that more points are distributed on Sunday.