McLaren are not “championship-toughened”, says Damon Hill, after their F1 title ho🦩pes dwindled in Brazil.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Sao Pau🅷lo Grand Prix from 17th on the grid, brilliantly taking advant🌄age of wet conditions.

He is now⛦ 62 points clear of Lando Norris with just three roundඣs remaining.

The topsy-turvy race in Sao Paul꧑o appeared like it might veer Norris’ way, at one earl🌜y stage.

“What a difference it could’ve been if it was the other way around,” ex-F1 ch🌜ampion Hill told Sky Sp🧔orts.

🎃“At one point, Max was the guy who was stuck 11 or 10 seconds behind ൲the leader, and Lando had points in the bag.

“It was always going to be a crཧitical race, this. An opportunity that probably won’t come around again.

“He is obviously dejected.”

Norris’ race in Brazil was blighted b💫y an aborted start, for which he was reprimanded and fined.

But Hill noticed: “I don’t think he got his secon༒d restart right.

“He gave an opportunity to Charlesಌ Leclerc. And that really did not help.”

Naomi Schiff added: “It just♏ feels like they’ve left points on the table. It isn’t the first 🐓time this season that they’ve done that.

“Whether it comes from the drivers or the pit board, collectively they haven’t been꧂ able to cross their i’s and dot their t’s.

“Lando is a great dꦉriver but he’s up against the best in 👍the world.

“Max🍬 barely ever makes mistakes, Red Bull as well. It’s a ✅tough challenge.

“Lando, at the start, left the door open. I don’t know if it’s because he waౠs being cautious.

“💃They were a bit safe with their decisions on the pit wall. I think that’s because they’re on the defence, they don’t want to make a mistake. But it’s costing them, in the end.”

Hill replied: “They are not race-toughened༒, not champ♔ionship-toughed, not bullet-proof.

“That’s what you need to be.

“There were other moments in the season where theyꦓ’ve fumbled it. They will go away and think long and hard, and come back tougher.

“To win a championship you can’t afford to make any mi🌜stakes. The competition is too hot and too relentless.”

McLar🐎en still lead the constructors’ championship, ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull.