F1 Q&A: Piastri-Antonelli collision, Hamilton and Ferrari, Verstappen's Sao Paulo drive and McLaren beating Mercedes

McLaren driver Lando Norris executed a flawless weekend in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, extending his title lead over team-mate Oscar Piastri to 24 points. The Briton took 33 points in total at Interlagos by winning both the sprint race and grand prix, while Piastri failed to make the main podium for the fifth time and finished fifth.

McLaren's victory is a significant blow to Ferrari, who are already struggling with their car's performance this season. The team has not won a constructors' title since 2000 and have struggled to match Mercedes in terms of performance.

Meanwhile, Red Bull's Max Verstappen made an impressive recovery drive in the race after starting from the pit lane due to a puncture on lap six. His third-place finish caught the eye, but it still means he is 49 points behind leader Norris.

The question on everyone's mind is whether Ferrari can turn their season around with the help of new regulations in 2026. Mercedes' motorsport director and F1 team principal Toto Wolff has stated that if Mercedes cannot win, they would rather see a Mercedes customer team succeed.

However, McLaren beating the works team for two years in a row could be seen as a problem for Mercedes, given their reputation for not giving up easily. The team has been in F1 for over 30 years and is committed to remaining competitive, even if it means investing heavily in research and development.

In terms of the regulations, Red Bull's performance in Brazil was reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton's drive in 2021, when he also made a remarkable recovery after starting from the pit lane. However, this is likely due to the fact that both drivers have extremely talented teams behind them, with a strong focus on developing and optimizing their cars.

Overall, McLaren's victory in Sao Paulo sets them up well for the remainder of the season, while Ferrari will need to regroup and reassess their strategy if they are to make a serious challenge.
 
🤔 so like what do you think is gonna happen with ferrari now? they've been struggling all season and beating mclaren is like super big deal for them, but at the same time, it's not gonna be easy for them to turn their season around esp with those new regulations coming up in 2026 🕰️ i mean, it's hard to know what toto wolff means by saying that if mercedes can't win they'd rather see a mercedes customer team succeed... does that mean mclaren might get more support from mercedes? 🤑

anyway, it's super interesting to see how the rest of the season is gonna play out esp with red bull making those comebacks 🚀 and max verstappen still 49 points behind lando norris... like he's gotta be so focused now! 🔥
 
I'm not entirely sure how much impact these new regulations in 2026 will have, but I think it'll be interesting to see Ferrari try to turn their season around 🤔. McLaren's team is looking super strong right now, and it's going to take some big efforts from Ferrari to catch up.

But you know what? I'm a bit worried that Mercedes might get too reliant on having customer teams do all the heavy lifting for them 😬. Those guys have been in F1 for ages and they're not known for giving up easily.

I'd love to see more of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, though - he's such an incredible driver 💥! His recovery drive in Brazil was insane!

What I do know is that McLaren needs to keep this momentum going if they want to stay on top 🔝. Oscar Piastri seems like a talented driver, but he'll need to step up his game if he wants to be a serious contender 🤞.
 
man i just saw this thread but its too late lol McLaren is on fire atm 🚀 Lando Norris seems like he's in a zone right now. I'm not surprised Ferrari is struggling tho, they've been underperforming all season. Red Bull's recovery drive was crazy though! Starting from the pit lane and making it to 3rd place? That's what i call skill 💪 And yeah, Mercedes will be keeping a close eye on this. If McLaren can keep winning, it'll put pressure on them to perform better. But let's not count Ferrari out just yet, they've got some talented drivers and a strong team behind them 🤔
 
I'm not sure how long McLaren can keep this up 🤔. 24 points is a big lead, but F1 is all about consistency, and it's only a matter of time before someone else catches up. Ferrari's struggles aren't new, but if they're gonna turn things around, they'll need to make some real changes...not just wait for the new regulations 🕰️. And what about Red Bull? They got lucky with that recovery drive, and it's not like they're naturally faster than everyone else 🔴.
 
I'm telling you, this Brazilian GP was a big deal! Lando Norris is on fire right now 🚀 and it's getting harder for Ferrari to keep up. I've got sources that say McLaren has been working on some major upgrades for 2026 and they're gonna be a game-changer 💥. Meanwhile, Mercedes is trying to stay competitive but with Toto Wolff saying they'd rather see a customer team succeed... it's like they're passing the torch 🌟. But let's be real, Ferrari needs to step up their game ASAP or they'll be watching from the sidelines 👀. Red Bull's Max Verstappen might've made an impressive recovery, but he can't do it alone ⏱️. McLaren's dominance is a wake-up call for everyone else in the paddock 🚨.
 
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