US GP: Piastri Cracks, Norris Rises & Is Verstappen Really In The Hunt For The Championship?

2 Soft Compounds

This week on 2 Soft Compounds, Rick is joined by Damien Reid as they break down Max Verstappen’s Texas masterclass - a weekend that felt like a throwback to his dominant years.

The guys dissect McLaren’s self-inflicted sprint disaster, growing tension between Norris and Piastri and why Oscar’s cool composure might finally be cracking under pressure. They question whether McLaren are secretly favouring Norris and if Ferrari’s near-perfect strategy was in fact, just another “almost.”

Plus: Russell’s quiet consistency, Williams’ surprise potential and early whispers that Ferrari’s 2026 engine could change everything. As F1 heads to Mexico are we witnessing Verstappen’s relentless charge toward another title?

All this and more, right here on 2 Soft Compounds.

Production Credits:

Presented by: Rick Houghton
Studio Engineer & Editor: Roy D'Monte
Executive Producer: Ian Carless
Produced by: W4 Podcast Studio

Kapitel

1. Welcome And Austin Recap (00:00:00)

2. Verstappen Dominance And Sprint Sweep (00:00:32)

3. Processional Racing And Development Convergence (00:01:05)

4. McLaren’s Sprint Clash And Pressure On Piastri (00:02:03)

5. Data Lost And Qualifying Compromises (00:04:11)

6. Are McLaren Favouring Norris (00:06:00)

7. Ferrari Strategy: Almost Right, Then Wrong (00:08:13)

8. Mercedes Form And The Two‑Second Gap Trend (00:09:06)

9. Back‑Marker Fireworks And Team Orders Defied (00:10:42)

10. 2026 Powertrains: Ferrari Hype, Ford‑Red Bull Questions (00:12:02)

11. Williams Revival Predictions And Budget Talk (00:14:05)

12. Mexico Preview: Altitude, Reliability, Rookie FP1 (00:15:42)

13. Tyre Deg, Lando’s Track Limits Discipline (00:18:08)

14. FP1 Stand‑Ins And Trade‑Offs (00:20:02)

15. Mexico Predictions And Title Outlook (00:21:50)

16. Sign‑Off And Subscribe (00:23:20)