Whateley: It’s hard not to feel jilted by McLaren

• Mexico Grand prix results: Who finished where?

There is one question above all other today.

Why is one McLaren so much faster than the other?

And it must be the question Oscar Piastri is asking himself in his quiet moments after the recent trend became an inescapable truth in Mexico.

The Australian drove the ears off his car after pedestrian qualifying and a disastrous start.

He finished fifth… if not for a dud virtual safety car at the end he might’ve made a run for fourth.

But Lando Norris completely dominated.

I’m not one for conspiracy theories and there’s a risk of sore loser syndrome… but the word 'nobbled' comes to mind.

If you’ve been of the belief McLaren made its choice some time ago that Norris was the preferred candidate to be world champion then you’d have every reason to tells us I told you so this morning.

Piastri had been in a form slump in recent races, part of that perhaps attributable to suspicions over the set up.

He chased furiously in Mexico to try to limit the damage and drove a hell of a race.

But his championship lead is lost.

McLaren has Norris to the top of the standings with four races remaining.

It’s hard not to feel just a little jilted.

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