A burger joint ruined Piastri's career. There is a conflict between management and drivers at Ferrari. Verstappen needs a miracle. What is happening in F1 with three races left in the season?

Formula 1 continues to capture the attention of car enthusiasts worldwide. The impact of the film featuring Brad Pitt is still felt. But stepping away from cinematic stories, what is actually happening? There are three Grand Prix races left until the end of the season, and the situation has turned such that Verstappen could become the champion, but many factors must align for this to happen.

Let's first focus on the latest news. Spoiler: the most interesting part of this article will be at the end, but everyone needs to understand the context. So, don't skip the news section. Moreover, the events are far from boring: there's a burger joint that dashed Piastri's title hopes, and a conflict within Ferrari. In short, there's plenty to read about.

What's with the burgers and the conflict?

Let's start with the buns and patties. A burger joint in Australia created a signature burger in honor of Oscar Piastri. The dish became popular: many customers, significant revenue, and lots of positive reviews. But ever since this burger appeared on the menu, Oscar Piastri hasn't made it to the podium. The café from Australia has already responded to all F1 fans and specifically to Oscar's fans. In short, they won't be taking this dish off the menu, which means Piastri loses his chances for the world championship title and might even drop out of the top three.

Of course, this is all just a coincidence, but athletes are very superstitious, so if Piastri noticed this, he's likely not thrilled. And it's unlikely Oscar would have become the champion, even without the burgers. McLaren's management would make Norris the champion, but according to rumors, there's no such thing in the team. There's no focus on a single driver, and they decide on the track who wins the race. Perhaps this approach isn't the best, but it's very democratic.

From Britain, we head south to Europe. There, the weather is hot, and so are the relationships. A conflict has occurred in Ferrari, albeit indirect and not open, but noticeable. Ferrari President John Elkann stated that some drivers don't need to talk much, they just need to drive. Stop saying bad things about the cars, it's your own fault for going off track in São Paulo.

Hamilton and Leclerc quickly posted on their social media that they are fully behind the team, always supportive: unity, faith, honor, and dignity. All in that spirit, specifically for the media. Elkann can be understood, as Ferrari teams in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other races win races and bring titles. But in F1, that's not the case. In F1, the competitors are much stronger, spending more money on their cars. The Italians decided it was enough to lure a driver without building a car around him and hope for victories. By the way, did you know how many people joined Ferrari's technical team after signing Hamilton? Not a single one.

Conflicts have always existed in Formula 1. But let's be honest – everyone has their own truth. Leclerc and Hamilton don't like the cars, they openly say they need fixing. Management believes they are doing a lot, and the drivers are to blame. While everyone is pointing fingers at each other, Ferrari is slipping down the ranks in the Constructors' Championship and might finish the season outside the top 3.

Verstappen Still Has a Chance

Or perhaps the chances have Verstappen. It's not entirely clear yet. Max has been delighting his fans in the recent Grands Prix. The car is slightly adjusted for each stage, and the Dutchman has been increasingly taking first place. What is his gap from Norris with three races to go? 49 points. But São Paulo significantly strengthened Lando's chances for the title. He won both the race and the sprint. What does Verstappen need to win?

Norris needs to retire from the track in Las Vegas. Preferably both in the sprint and the race. And Max himself needs to win both. That would put 33 points in his pocket. Piastri also needs to face setbacks, but as long as the burger is selling, the Australian won't see victories. With 16 points and two races to go, it's already possible to fight, it's already possible to create a new film and triple the ticket prices in Abu Dhabi.

What are Verstappen's chances? A night race in Las Vegas, low temperatures, not the best scenario for McLaren. In fact, the race in Nevada will be the most challenging for the Brits from a technical standpoint. Their cars don't favor such tracks with high-speed corners and straights. McLaren might dominate on accelerations, but on a completely straight line, even Mercedes will overtake them. By the way, the Germans can count on the title in Las Vegas. Historically, this race in the USA has always been unsuccessful for McLaren.

Theoretical chances exist for Verstappen, but in reality, it's impossible to implement. Next will be Qatar and Abu Dhabi with their hot climates. And there, McLaren will take its own. Or will it? In Qatar, there aren't many hard braking zones that McLaren can capitalize on. Moreover, the turns there are quite fast, and there are plenty of them. Here, Red Bull will fight. If needed, Tsunoda will assist his teammate, holding back competitors in orange cars. In Abu Dhabi, everything will be decided on the straights, where Red Bull is much faster than its opponent.

Let's not forget the psychological factor, which might hinder the young Norris and Piastri. Verstappen is quite experienced, making it easier for him to handle the pressure, whereas for the McLaren drivers, this could be their first career title, with a lot of nerves involved.

The last time the title was decided in the final Grand Prix was in 2021. Back then, Verstappen and Hamilton were determining who was stronger. It turned out that Max was starting to dominate in F1. Will this situation repeat? We will keep you updated. The next stage will take place in São Paulo and will be very important for continuing the fight!