David Croft assesses who had ‘more pace’ between Red Bull and McLaren during the US Grand Prix

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The championship fight between Red Bull and McLaren is intensifying by the week, with the United States Grand Prix offering the latest instalment of their season-long fight.

Upgrades from both teams saw them much closer in pace than they have been at stages over the last few months.

Max Verstappen’s Friday pole position set him up to maximise the weekend’s results, scraping a third place late in Sunday’s race after a penalty for Lando Norris.

Interestingly, neither team were quickest in Austin, which says a lot about where the remaining five races of the season could go.

David Croft says Red Bull had ‘more pace’ than McLaren in Austin

The hopes of a non-Verstappen championship win took a severe dent this weekend, as Norris struggled to seize any initiative over his rivals.

Ferrari had the fastest car, taking a one-two in dominant fashion, as Verstappen and Norris were left to battle for third.

After a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, Norris ended up losing out to his Dutch rival and falling further behind in the title fight.

READ MORE: Peter Windsor pinpoints what Red Bull has done a ‘really good job’ of compared to McLaren at US Grand Prix

He now needs to overcome Verstappen by over 10 points at every race, and according to David Croft, at a time when Red Bull may finally be quicker than McLaren.

“Lando Norris, up against a Red Bull which has looked like it has more pace than the McLaren this weekend. Down to the drivers to sort this one out.”

Why the championship fight has tilted in Verstappen’s favour

Ideally, Norris had to make sure that he chipped away at Verstappen’s championship lead even if by a small margin.

However, the reigning champion has extended his advantage, giving him a better grasp of the trophy and leaving McLaren to rely on a retirement to have a serious chance again.

It’s now imperative that Norris wins every single race left this season, which is an incredibly tall order and will require a historic run.

READ MORE: Jenson Button heard Lando Norris make ‘very unusual’ McLaren complaint before the US Grand Prix

The added stress that Ferrari are serious competitor adds a level of complexity to the situation, making Oscar Piastri’s role as Norris’ teammate even more important.

If Sergio Perez can get in the mix a bit more, it’s hard to see any situation where the Papaya outfit claims both crowns.