Oscar Piastri failed to make progress and opened the door for Max Verstappen to take a huge chunk out of his championship lead and pile the pressure on McLaren in the F1 drivers' title race

Here's a look at the F1 drivers' championship contenders, recent races that have intensified the title battle, and how the upcoming rounds could give a team an edge over others.

Wolff told Sky Sports F1 on Friday that he was going to learn from what he called a “mistake”, insisting “there wasn’t any on-purpose flirting” and claiming this was “just a coincidence”, while admitting the uncertainty over the driver line-up ended up being “destabilising for everyone”.

Formula One (F1) is a sport often associated with high salaries for its drivers. However, determining the amount of money that the sports class 2025 will earn is not easy. While drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc are some of the most well-known in the sport, it is not always the case that they are the highest earners.

Max Verstappen was under no illusions that the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix Sprint Race will be an easy affair, after snatching pole position late in the session. The Dutchman, the last driver out on track, took pole ahead of the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to place himself in a good position for the 19-Lap race on Saturday.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri leads teammate Lando Norris in the standings, but a resurgent Max Verstappen of Red Bull has set up a dramatic and unpredictable final six races of the season.

George Russell believes most drivers on the Formula One grid would want to be in his Mercedes seat next season.The 27-year-old signed a new multi-year contract this week after protracted negotiations and persistent rumours linking four-time world champion Max Verstappen with the team.

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso said Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers in the history of the sport.