Guenther Steiner believes that Ferrari could play a pivotal role in helping Lando Norris to a maiden World Championship title, taking key points away from Max Verstappen.

“I don’t think to catch McLaren this year will be possible,” Steiner explained on the Red Flags podcast. “What they showed in Singapore, for me was just amazing. It was amazing.

“I think that Ferrari can play a bigger role than they played in Singapore for the world championship, because, in theory, they should’ve been in front of Max, but they didn’t qualify ahead, both of them.

“So there was no red flag, safety car, nothing in Singapore which could have helped them to move forward. So they had to fight their way through it, which wasn’t easy.

“As you saw also with Oscar Piastri, as soon as you’re in dirty air it is just difficult in places like Singapore, more than any other place.

“I think McLaren are in a good way, but Max will be fighting to the end, to hang on to the championship.”

Heading into the United States Grand Prix, Norris trails Verstappen by 52 points, but his performance in Singapore, where he won by over 20 seconds at a canter, suggests that McLaren will be the dominant team for the rest of the year.