Fear at McLaren: “Even Verstappen would feel this pressure!”

As the Formula 1 season hits its boiling point, McLaren suddenly finds itself on the defensive. Max Verstappen is closing fast in the world championship fight, and tension is creeping into the papaya-colored garage. According to former F1 driver Gerhard Berger, the pressure is perfectly natural and intense enough that “even Verstappen would feel it if there were another Verstappen chasing him.”

McLaren’s lead under threat

Lando Norris currently leads the championship by 36 points over Verstappen, but that gap has been shrinking fast. Two weeks ago in Mexico, Norris overtook teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings, and the team’s once-dominant form now looks fragile.

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McLaren was the clear favorite through the summer, cruising toward both titles with apparent ease. The Constructors’ crown is already secured, but the Drivers’ title, the one that really matters, is suddenly up for grabs again.

Meanwhile, Verstappen has found rhythm and confidence, chipping away at McLaren’s lead. The Dutchman thrives under pressure, and the paddock can sense the momentum shifting. “Max has maintained the level we saw in previous years,” Berger told Corriere dello Sport. “He’s still incredibly quick and makes almost no mistakes. I once said Senna was unbeatable, but Verstappen meets the same standard. He can still win this championship. I just hope the fight stays fair.”

When dominance turns into doubt

For McLaren, the turnaround has been jarring. The team spent most of the season untouchable, only to wobble now that Verstappen is back in the frame. Berger, who drove for McLaren in the late 1980s, says this kind of dip is inevitable when pressure mounts.

“Ups and downs are part of the game,” he said. “When you have two teammates of similar calibre, the internal pressure becomes enormous. It’s not easy to handle, and yes, even Max would feel that kind of stress if he were fighting another Verstappen.”

Inside the team, nerves are growing. A few strategic missteps, minor setup errors, and the unrelenting pace of Red Bull have eroded McLaren’s comfort zone. Every session feels like a test of composure.

Brazil could change everything

This weekend in São Paulo could swing the title fight again. Interlagos is a track where Verstappen shines, and where McLaren cannot afford mistakes. If the Dutchman wins both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, and the McLaren drivers fail to score, the gap to Norris would shrink to just three points.

It’s a reminder of how quickly fortunes can turn in Formula 1. One bad weekend can erase months of dominance.

Last year, Verstappen’s win in Brazil was legendary, charging from 18th to first in a performance that defined his ruthlessness. McLaren knows that if he finds that level again, the final rounds will become a psychological battle as much as a technical one.

For now, McLaren holds the advantage. But as Berger hinted, pressure has a way of exposing even the strongest teams. And with Verstappen in full attack mode, that pressure is only going one way.