Outside Line: Something big happened! Now for something even bigger!
F1 NewsMonday, 24 November 2025 at 12:02
Wow. Just wow. Who saw that coming? I think I did. I thought that "something big" would hit this 2025 Formula 1 title fight in the final three races, starting in Las Vegas, and boy it was bang on.
I wrote at the time: "Then maybe this 'Papaya Rules' thing. I feel there’s something there, something karmic, just waiting to backfire." Las Vegas delivered. Both McLaren boys DQed on a night, Max Verstappen triumphed in style.
I am no Nostradamus with a crystal ball, but when you live this Formula 1 sport of ours the way I do, and the way Jad Mallak does, you feel the pressure lines forming. You see where the cracks will split. You know when a team is about to step on a landmine. It's a gut thing. McLaren did exactly that.
And they did it in spectacular fashion. Two disqualifications in one night. The once slam-dunk Drivers' title is suddenly not such a sure shot. Notably, McLaren acknowledged their fumble and apologies were issued before sunrise.
Team boss Andrea Stella raised his hand: “We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their Championship campaigns after two strong performances from them all weekend. As a team, we also apologise to our partners and fans, whose support means so much."
McLaren’s greatest strength this year has been the sheer quality of the MCL39. Their greatest weakness has always been the Papaya tendency to overcomplicate the simple. In Las Vegas, it bit them hard.
Verstappen made more than a statement win in Las Vegas
That is how you turn the safest F1 World Championship title cushion in decades into a golden invitation for Verstappen to stroll straight back into the fight.
Make no mistake, Max was untouchable under the lights on Saturday. The 'race' lasted one corner, as Norris mugged himself into Turn 1, went ultra-wide, as Max nipped by and controlled the pace. Then the #1 Red Bull disappeared into the distance. After 50 laps, 20 seconds ahead of a stricken Norris.
It was a statement win. More than a warning shot, the charge is in full gear. Max wants wins in the one Sprint and the last two Grands Prix that remain in this enthralling season. And unless divine intervention strikes, he will take the lot I think.
McLaren, meanwhile, cooked themselves. Too aggressive on setup? Too greedy on ride height? Too clever for their own good. For me and the crew, the wet pace gave the game away. They chased grip and paid the ultimate price. Both cars are out. Both drivers gutted. Both title hopes were severely wobbled on that night in Sin City.
McLaren sinned by detonating their own title bid
Had Zak Brown's team left America with P2 for Norris in the race, the championship was theirs to manage. Norris would have a healthy buffer. Verstappen was still a dot in their mirrors. The cushion, insurmountable for anyone other than 'The Amazing Max Verstappen ', is now alarming for the Woking outfit.
So here we are. Painted into a corner by themselves, McLaren have one card left to play. They must put everything behind Norris. It is the only logical path to the double title they so covet. If they try to run a double-pronged campaign for one more weekend, they might as well hand Verstappen the trophy gift-wrapped.
McLaren have not won the Holy Grail of Formula 1, aka the Drivers' Championship (only accountants care about the Constructors' title), since Lewis Hamilton did for them in 2008.
They built the best car in the final phase of these Formula 1 rules. They have two elite drivers in Norris and Piastri, pushing each other hard in a seesaw fight. Inevitably, they split resources, split focus, split strategy, and split points.
At Red Bull, there is no split of anything; Max gets the best stuff. Full stop. Red Bull is Verstappen’s team. Rightfully built around his needs, and you can bet the RB21 that is about to roll into Qatar and Abu Dhabi in full 'nuke it' full-blown specification. The final Honda
adieu will be special.
Simple. Do the maths. This Las Vegas wake-up punch hit both of them. With two weekends left, a Sprint in Qatar for good measure, the maths is clear. Norris can still win the title. Piastri can too, but is 24 points behind and tied with Verstappen. Maximum points up for grabs in the final two race weekends: 58. It's a no-brainer.
Why would Piastri help Norris be World Champion?
The only question is whether Piastri plays ball or whether he insists the team let them race until the numbers shut the door themselves. I can already picture the meeting.
Andrea Stella sitting them down, looking them in the eye, and saying: “Max is coming for us. He is going to win this championship unless we stop him. Lando is only 24 points ahead. Oscar, we need unity for the team, for you to be the wingman. We need maximum points for Lando.”
That is the fork in the road, McLaren, Norris and mostly Piastri now face. The Australian, has to decide; Teamwork or implosion. Sacrifice or stubbornness. A future with the team, or not. A united front or the Papaya version of Nico Rosberg versus Lewis Hamilton saga.
Now consider something bigger! Barring force majeure
There is no bigger twist than that. The FIA might yet serve us another comedy moment this season, but the real shocker happened in Las Vegas. Two McLarens out. The title fight flipped on its head. And Max, the reigning F1 World Champion, is suddenly right back in the middle of it.
Just like that, we could be heading to "something bigger" at the climax of this marathon, but epic season that just keeps on giving the kind of stuff you can't script. Watch this space!
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