Martin Brundle has already told McLaren why Oscar Piastri must now become their number two driver

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Oscar Piastri is at risk of finishing third in the Formula 1 world championship, having led for the bulk of the season. Piastri’s disqualification at the Las Vegas Grand Prix leaves him level on points with race winner Max Verstappen.

The only consolation for Piastri was that he didn’t lose any further ground to teammate Lando Norris, who was also excluded for excessive plank wear. The gap remains at 24, rather than 30.

But while Piastri and Verstappen are the same distance behind, the former seems much further away from the title. He’d qualified fifth in Vegas before becoming stuck behind the one-stopping Kimi Antonelli in the race.

McLaren have consistently said that they won’t pick a number one driver in the title fight despite the threat posed by Verstappen. This goes against their racing philosophy, but those principles are now facing the ultimate test.

Martin Brundle warned McLaren about the exact title fight scenario they’re now facing

During the Sao Paulo GP weekend, Martin Brundle claimed McLaren would issue team orders if it was necessary to beat Max Verstappen, despite Zak Brown’s promises.

He said: “I do admire that they’re not going to say, ‘Well, you’re one point ahead, so the other guy is going to have to give up the championship.’

“But that’s with four events to go and one point in it. If there’s one or two events to go and 20 points in it, and Max is on their gearbox, of course they’ll take a different decision.”

Brundle’s prediction has proven to be eerily accurate – there are now two rounds remaining and just over 20 points separating the two drivers. Verstappen is now a realistic contender again, rather than an outsider.

BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson says any questions about McLaren favouring Norris from here are ‘redundant’. But the team can’t have legislated for a non-score this late in the season, and surely an event this seismic should prompt a reassessment.

Theoretically, McLaren would maximise their chances of a championship double from here if they prevented Piastri from taking points off Norris, but this approach is not risk-free and could spark an internal fall-out.

What Oscar Piastri must do at the Qatar Grand Prix to stay in the F1 title fight

There are 33 points on offer in Qatar, so Piastri must view it as an opportunity to reignite his chances. Equally, he could be knocked out of the race for good.

If Piastri is 26 or more points behind Norris at the end of the weekend, he will be eliminated from contention. Recent form suggests that this is likely.

The two drivers are currently level on seven wins apiece, which could be significant as this is the first tiebreaker.

McLaren are likely to be more cautious with their car in Qatar, which could open the door for both Verstappen and the Mercedes/Ferrari drivers.