Austin’s race weekend could let Red Bull leapfrog McLaren in the standings. The Woking team defends third, so Verstappen and Hadjar must dig deep to claim a top‑three spot. Can they pull it off?
McLaren sits on 339 points after 17 races, just seven ahead of Red Bull’s 332. The gap narrowed after Verstappen’s back‑to‑back wins in Malaysia and Singapore, the first for the Ford‑powered unit. Red Bull out‑scored McLaren 35‑10 in Malaysia and 34‑23 in Singapore.
There’s no Sprint race in Austin, so a maximum of 43 points is on offer for each team.
Red Bull needs to outscore McLaren by at least eight points. A seven‑point swing would tie the teams, with the tie‑breaker decided by best results. Both have two wins this season.
If Verstappen wins and Hadjar scores zero, McLaren must keep to 17 points or less. Norris third and Piastri ninth would hand Red Bull a one‑point edge. A single McLaren car in the points would leave the tally even.
Should Verstappen finish second while Hadjar scores none, McLaren can earn no more than ten points – a fifth place with the second car outside the top ten would suffice.
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
If Verstappen ends up third, McLaren’s ceiling drops to seven points, achievable with finishes like seventh and tenth.
If both McLarens fail to score, Red Bull needs only eight points, meaning a sixth place for either driver would flip the order.
Every point Hadjar adds lifts McLaren’s ceiling equally. A Verstappen win plus Hadjar fifth nets Red Bull 35 points; Norris second and Piastri sixth (26 points) still leaves Red Bull ahead.
Will Red Bull finally overtake McLaren in Austin?
| Red Bull result | Red Bull points | Most McLaren can score | Example McLaren result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verstappen 1st | 25 | 17 | Norris 3rd, Piastri 9th |
| Verstappen 1st, Hadjar 5th | 35 | 27 | Norris 2nd, Piastri 6th |
| Verstappen 2nd | 18 | 10 | One car 5th, the other out of the points |
| Verstappen 3rd | 15 | 7 | 7th and 10th |
| Verstappen 4th | 12 | 4 | One car 8th, the other out of the points |
| Verstappen 5th | 10 | 2 | One car 9th, the other out of the points |
| Verstappen or Hadjar 6th | 8 | 0 | Both cars out of the points |
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella appears relaxed about the challenge from the Milton Keynes squad after their recent performance surge.
“We call it the ping‑pong season,” Stella said. “Verstappen and Red Bull are simply capitalising on the upgrades they’ve delivered. Yet three‑tenths of a second is a gain you can earn with a new part.”
McLaren’s comments may unsettle its fans. Norris described the MCL40 as “mentally exhausting” to drive, and Stella warned that its core issues won’t be solved until the 2027 car arrives.
Verstappen stays modest as ever.
“I’m not saying I’ll be fighting in Austin right now, but the last few weekends have been fantastic,” he noted. “I just take it race by race.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on?
Take our 5 minute survey.
– The Team