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At McLaren, there’s no sense of panic — even now that Max Verstappen has forced his way back into the Formula 1 title fight. The Dutchman’s recent run of form has put him within striking distance of the championship leaders, but team principal Andrea Stella insists nothing will change in the team’s approach.
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Just four race weekends ago, it seemed the title battle would be an internal affair between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Verstappen was far behind, but thanks to a string of victories, the Red Bull driver has now closed the gap to just 40 points with five weekends remaining. While McLaren recognizes the threat, Stella is refusing to sound the alarm.
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“For me, nothing has really changed,” Stella told international media in Austin. “The danger that Max represents is exactly the same as it was a few months ago. Since Baku, I’ve been
saying that he’s still in the fight for the championship. That’s not an empty statement — it’s based on experience and on knowing the circuits that are still to come.”
“We just need to execute perfectly”
The Italian emphasized that McLaren must stay focused on itself rather than the competition. “We have to keep doing what we’ve been doing: maximize performance and deliver clean weekends,” he explained. “In Baku we didn’t do that, and it cost us points. As long as we extract everything from our package, the championship remains entirely in our hands.”
Pressure mounting on Piastri and Norris
With Verstappen now just 26 points behind Norris, the tension at the top of the standings continues to build. Still, Stella refuses to talk about team orders or favoring one driver over the other. “We still have five races and two sprints to go,” he said. “That means we can also extend the gap. Only when the math dictates it will we decide on a clear strategy between our drivers.”
Stella remains quietly confident about the upcoming races. “There are still circuits ahead that should suit us well. We see the next few weeks as opportunities — not as threats.”
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