A three-way team title fight

Three teams covered by just 48 points: having such an evenly matched contest in the fight for the Constructors' championship is something we have never seen since the current scoring system was introduced in 2010. It might not be of as much interest to the fans as the pursuit of the Drivers' crown, but it is very important for the teams themselves, both in terms of prestige and financial rewards. In fact, the part of the Formula 1 financial cake that goes to the teams is cut up depending on where you are in the rankings, with the world championship winning team obviously getting the biggest slice. So there is a lot to play for between now and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with McLaren on 544 points, Red Bull on 504 and Ferrari on 496 as of today. There are five rounds remaining with no fewer than 250 points up for grabs. Mathematically, Mercedes is also in with a chance, although the Anglo-German team is fourth, 200 points adrift of McLaren, so it would need a miracle for it to be a contender.

So, who is the favourite at the moment? Hard to say, because up until the cars took to the track in Austin, McLaren seemed to be running away with it, but the odds on the Woking team must have lengthened a bit, as yesterday's Grand Prix marked the end of a 14 race run which featured at least one papaya-clad driver on the podium, with the odds now shortening on the Maranello squad. In the United States, Ferrari picked up 55 points, almost double that of Red Bull on 29 and McLaren on 28. But more importantly, it seemed very competitive, given that once Leclerc had taken the chequered flag the crowd had to wait almost 20 seconds to see Verstappen cross the line. However, one month ago in Singapore, McLaren took 40 points outclassing Red Bull on 19 and Ferrari on 16, which all goes to show how quickly the pecking order can change this season. 

It's a very different situation in the Drivers' championship. In Austin, partly thanks to once more proving his mastery of the Sprint race, Verstappen has again extended his lead over Norris by a further five points. In fact, not since the Belgian Grand Prix prior to the summer break, has the Dutchman outscored the Englishman. The three-time world champion heads the classification on 354 points, 57 ahead of Norris, with 146 still to play for. If Lando were to win all five remaining Grands Prix, as well as the two Sprints in Sao Paulo and Lusail and take the extra point for the fastest race lap each Sunday, Max would still only need to pick up 90 points to hang onto the title by a single point. Theoretically he could afford to finish second every time and fail to score in the Sprints. It's true that Max has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix but his consistency remains impressive, so that for someone else to deprive him of his fourth consecutive title would be a really impressive feat.