F1 and McLaren avoided the prospect of being judged "pretty silly" if the team had ordered Lando Norris to hand back a position to Oscar Piastri following their minor collision during last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.
That is the verdict of former F1 driver Perry McCarthy in an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.
READ MORE: Oscar Piastri expectations judged 'quite low' as F1 avoided 'silly manipulation'
Max Verstappen is poised to receive another upgrade to his Red Bull in a bid to maintain his late-season challenge to McLaren in his fight to land a fifth consecutive F1 drivers' title.
Verstappen's RB21 was blessed with updates ahead of the recent Italian and Singapore Grands Prix, notably a new floor ahead of the race at Monza that provided the car with aero grip and balance previously missing during a mid-season slump.
READ MORE: Max Verstappen set for another Red Bull update boost in late F1 title push
The staggering Lewis Hamilton defeat that proves Max Verstappen title win is possible
Max Verstappen finds himself in a remarkably similar position to Kimi Raikkonen's legendary championship comeback in 2007, with the statistical parallels between the two campaigns proving eerily precise.
With six races remaining in the 2025 season, which is 25% of the campaign, Verstappen trails Oscar Piastri by 63 points, sitting on 273 to the Australian's 336.
READ MORE: The staggering Lewis Hamilton defeat that proves Max Verstappen title win is possible
Lewis Hamilton receives emotional gesture upon reaching historic F1 milestone
On a grey October day at the Nurburgring, Lewis Hamilton achieved what many deemed impossible, with the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix marking the moment the Briton equalled Michael Schumacher's record of 91 F1 victories.
Hamilton was racing on German soil, matching the record of Germany's most successful F1 driver, with Mick Schumacher present at the circuit in his role with Alfa Romeo, before his F1 debut came with Haas the following campaign.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton receives emotional gesture upon reaching historic F1 milestone
FIA send independent steward to F1 season finale to protect Fernando Alonso
The fractured relationship between Fernando Alonso and McLaren reached such extreme heights during the 2007 season that the FIA felt compelled to dispatch an independent steward to the Brazilian Grand Prix, the championship finale, to ensure the two-time F1 drivers' champion was not being disadvantaged compared to his rookie team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
In the lead-up to the race at Interlagos, Carlos Garcia, head of the Spanish motorsport federation, revealed the extraordinary intervention after meeting with FIA president Max Mosley on October 3, just weeks before the title-deciding race in São Paulo.
READ MORE: FIA send independent steward to F1 season finale to protect Fernando Alonso
McLaren scolded for 'dropping the ball' over F1 driver exit
McLaren “dropped the ball” by opting to part ways with junior driver Alex Dunne, according to former F1 driver Derek Daly.
Last week, McLaren announced it had ended its contract with Dunne after almost 18 months in partnership.
READ MORE: McLaren scolded for 'dropping the ball' over F1 driver exit
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix! Lando Norris' move on Oscar Piastri is a major talking point, as is Max Verstappen's title chances now being very much alive.
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