Hamilton has a new threat after Ferrari talks - and it is not Leclerc

Hamilton left Brazil fourth in the drivers’ standings on 261 points. Leclerc is ten points behind, while Norris has reached 246. That puts the McLaren driver just 15 points behind Hamilton and only five behind Leclerc.

Neither Ferrari driver can afford to treat the remaining races simply as a private battle for supremacy at Maranello while Norris has made that contest considerably more complicated.

Hamilton’s account of his private discussion with Leclerc suggested both drivers were ready to move beyond the tensions created by their Mexican Grand Prix battle.

Fred Vasseur brought them together before leaving the pair to speak privately. Hamilton subsequently said everything was good and that they would move on.

The competitive reason for doing so is becoming clearer. Every position lost through an unnecessary internal fight could also benefit Norris.

The McLaren driver does not need Ferrari to suffer a dramatic collapse to become a threat because the existing gaps are small enough for an ordinary difference in finishing positions to matter.

Norris’ Brazilian Grand Prix victory ended McLaren’s winless run and demonstrated what clean execution can deliver in difficult conditions.

Explaining the result, he highlighted keeping his composure, avoiding mistakes and finding pace when it mattered. Hamilton’s afternoon offered a contrasting example of how quickly a promising recovery can unravel.

After making substantial progress on the opening lap, he struggled with rear-tyre degradation and oversteer. A late spin followed when he reached a much wetter first corner than he had anticipated.

Those problems cannot all be solved by improving relations between teammates. They concern car performance, information and race management.

Nevertheless, there is an argument to say a calmer internal environment should help Ferrari concentrate on those weaknesses rather than creating another avoidable source of lost points.

There is also an important distinction between the two championship battles. Norris can threaten Hamilton and Leclerc individually while McLaren still faces a separate task in the constructors’ standings.

Ferrari therefore needs both drivers delivering, even when their personal interests differ. Hamilton has already stressed the importance of protecting second place in the constructors’ championship for the people working at the factory.

The immediate challenge is to make that collective priority visible on track. Beating Leclerc would give Hamilton an important internal result. But if Ferrari becomes too absorbed in deciding which driver finishes ahead, Norris could leave both with a more uncomfortable question.

They may settle their rivalry only to discover that McLaren’s winner has overtaken them in the standings.