McLaren Bringing Something Spicy To Canada

The Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship has tightened after a chaotic Miami Grand Prix.

Ferrari and ZYN arrived in Miami still leading both standings, but McLaren and VELO were already building momentum after a strong weekend in Japan. Miami confirmed that the challenge is now real. Lando Norris finished second, Oscar Piastri followed him home in third, and McLaren took a major step towards turning this into a proper fight.

Ferrari still lead, but the gap is no longer comfortable.

With the Canadian Grand Prix arriving this weekend, the championship now has a very different feel.

Miami Result for the Nicotine Pouch Championship

Kimi Antonelli took the overall race win in Miami, but the key results for our nicotine pouch-sponsored and associated drivers came just behind him.

Lando Norris delivered another strong result for McLaren and VELO, finishing second and taking 18 points. Oscar Piastri backed that up with third place and 15 points, giving McLaren their strongest combined score of the season so far.

Ferrari and ZYN had a more complicated afternoon. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth after Leclerc’s post-race penalty, adding 8 points to his total. Charles Leclerc had looked set for a stronger finish, but a late spin and a 20-second penalty for repeatedly leaving the track dropped him to eighth, leaving him with 4 points.

Valtteri Bottas finished 18th for Cadillac and 77, so remains without points.

The Miami points for the nicotine pouch championship were:

Lando Norris – 2nd – 18 points
Oscar Piastri – 3rd – 15 points
Lewis Hamilton – 6th – 8 points
Charles Leclerc – 8th – 4 points
Valtteri Bottas – 18th – 0 points

Updated Driver Standings After Miami

After Miami, the updated driver standings are:

Charles Leclerc – 59 points
Lewis Hamilton – 51 points
Lando Norris – 51 points
Oscar Piastri – 43 points
Valtteri Bottas – 0 points

Leclerc still leads, but his advantage is much smaller than it looked before Miami. Hamilton and Norris are now level on 51 points, which brings McLaren and VELO directly into the fight.

Piastri’s rise is also important. After his podium in Japan, Miami proved that his form was not just a one-race spike. He now sits on 43 points and gives McLaren two drivers capable of applying pressure every weekend.

Updated Team Standings After Miami

The team standings now look like this:

Ferrari / ZYN – 110 points
McLaren / VELO – 94 points
Cadillac / 77 – 0 points

Ferrari and ZYN still lead by 16 points, but that is a much narrower gap than before.

Miami was exactly the sort of result McLaren needed. Both drivers scored heavily, while Ferrari’s afternoon became messy late on. That combination has turned what once looked like a controlled Ferrari lead into a genuinely competitive championship.

What Miami Changed

The biggest shift after Miami is psychological as much as mathematical.

Before Japan, Ferrari looked comfortably ahead. After Japan, McLaren looked promising. After Miami, McLaren look dangerous.

Norris has now become a serious threat in the driver standings, while Piastri is scoring enough to make the team battle far more balanced. Ferrari still have the advantage, but they can no longer rely simply on consistent scoring if McLaren keep finishing on the podium.

For ZYN, the strength remains having two drivers near the top. Leclerc leads the standings and Hamilton is right behind him. That is still a strong position. But Miami showed how quickly things can change when one driver loses points through penalties or late-race drama.

For VELO, this was the weekend where the campaign properly came alive. McLaren are no longer just closing in; they are now close enough that another strong weekend could put Ferrari under real pressure.

Cadillac and 77 Still Waiting

Cadillac and 77 remain the clear outlier.

Bottas finished 18th in Miami and is still without points. That makes the Canadian Grand Prix another chance to reset the narrative. At this stage, a points finish would be more than useful; it would give Cadillac something to build from.

The gap to the top two teams is already too large to think about a team fight, but getting on the board would at least move Cadillac from the sidelines into the championship picture.

Canada Preview: More Pressure in Montreal

The Canadian Grand Prix now arrives at a very interesting moment.

Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal is a track that can punish even small mistakes. Heavy braking zones, close walls and variable weather often make it one of the less predictable races on the calendar. That matters for this championship because the points gap is now small enough for one messy weekend to change everything.

For Ferrari and ZYN, Canada is about control. Leclerc needs a clean result after the frustration of Miami, while Hamilton has the chance to move even closer to the top of the standings. If both Ferrari drivers score strongly, they can stabilise the championship before McLaren build any more momentum.

For McLaren and VELO, Canada is about pressure. Norris is now level with Hamilton and only eight points behind Leclerc. Piastri is also close enough to keep shaping the team standings. If McLaren can repeat their Miami form, the 16-point gap to Ferrari could shrink quickly.

For Cadillac and 77, the target is unchanged: score points. Canada can create opportunities through Safety Cars, strategy calls and weather disruption. Bottas needs to take advantage if the race becomes unpredictable.

What to Watch This Weekend

The key question is whether Miami was the start of a McLaren surge or just another strong weekend in an uneven season.

The main battle is now obvious: can McLaren and VELO close the gap again?

McLaren approach the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a new weapon in their arsenal, VELO's new McLaren Spicy Papaya to go along with the Sweet Papaya. This has all the flavour and strength of the Sweet Papaya but with a spicy twist that might just launch McLaren to the top of the leaderboard

VELO McLaren Spicy Papaya Limited Edition slim nicotine pouches

If Norris and Piastri both score well again, Ferrari and ZYN’s championship lead could be under serious threat. If Leclerc and Hamilton respond with a controlled double-points finish, Ferrari can reassert themselves before the pressure grows further.

Canada now feels like a proper test for both teams.

Ferrari and ZYN still lead.
McLaren and VELO are closing fast.
Cadillac and 77 are still searching for their first points.

After Miami, the fight is no longer theoretical. It is on.

What to Watch in Canada

If Norris and Piastri both score strongly in Montreal, Ferrari and ZYN’s lead could be reduced to almost nothing. If Leclerc and Hamilton respond with a clean weekend, Miami may end up looking like damage rather than a turning point.

For Cadillac and 77, the target remains simple. They need points. Any points. A Sprint weekend may offer more opportunity, but it also gives teams less time to recover if things start badly.