"That ship has sailed," says Toto Wolff of Max Verstappen's 2025 title hopes.

"The gap that Lando has now is very, very solid," said the Austrian in the aftermath of the Dutchman's mega drive from pitlane to podium in Brazil. "But he (Norris) can't afford a DNF either, because then it swings in the other direction.

"Obviously, from a spectator standpoint you would want to see that going into the last race, equal points or similar points," he added, a brave comment considering he admits to still hurting following the events of 2021, "but Norris was impressive in the last few races, how he held the nerves and how he scored the points."

Asked about Verstappen's chances of overcoming the Briton's 49-point lead and winning the title, Wolff replied: "That ship has sailed."

Contrary to what many believe, the Mercedes boss insists that Andrea Stella is handing his battling papaya pair correctly.

"As a team principal, you just need to hold the grip on it and not allow any shots from outside," he said. "I think how they handle it is very good, letting them race. I don't see a situation where they're taking each other out."

Ignoring the fact that the Dutchman is likely to be much, much higher than Norris on Wolff's wish list for 2027, the fact is his comment is sure to fire up Verstappen even more.