McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says the squad is far from complacent as Formula 1 heads into the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the final three-race run-in. The event begins a decisive triple-header: Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Lando Norris leads team-mate Oscar Piastri by 24 points and Max Verstappen by 49, after back-to-back maximum-score weekends in Mexico City and Sao Paulo that have strengthened Norris’s title bid.
Stella stresses the team understands the pressure and the stakes, but is sticking to its established processes and communication. He highlights mutual respect and support between Norris and Piastri and says McLaren will keep working hard to maintain its strong position through the closing rounds rather than relying on optimism alone.
Many expect the championship to be settled in the final rounds in Qatar or Abu Dhabi, but Stella and others in the paddock are unconcerned about intra-team friction. Mercedes principal Toto Wolff praised the way McLaren has managed its driver dynamics, urging teams to allow drivers to race cleanly. Former world champion Jenson Button also reflected on the emotional cost of title fights, commending how Norris has handled the pressure of being a genuine contender.
Norris remains measured despite his recent momentum. He has outscored Piastri in the last six races, a sequence that began after a driver swap at the Italian Grand Prix following a slow pit stop for Norris. Norris describes recent results as strong performances rather than turning points and says his focus is on maximizing points every weekend, avoiding premature celebrations. Broadcaster Ted Kravitz has noted Norris’s restrained post-race demeanour as a way of staying focused on the long run.
Piastri faces the task of closing the gap with only three races left. He’s been beaten in qualifying by at least two tenths in Austin, Mexico City and Sao Paulo, a pattern the team is watching. Stella believes Piastri can adapt, particularly on lower-grip tracks, and suggests cooler Las Vegas temperatures could play to his strengths. Piastri admits some recent weekends have been “odd,” with the car feeling similar but external factors making the difference; he says he is working on adding more tools to his repertoire and can draw on experience from his manager, Mark Webber.
Commentators say Piastri will likely need a standout weekend or a dip in Norris’s form to change the championship trajectory. The margin is small enough that a few decisive results could flip the standings, but the window is narrowing.
For Verstappen, the road back to the title is steep. His loss of 13 points to Norris in Brazil leaves him almost two full race wins behind. If Norris out-scores him by nine points in Las Vegas, Verstappen could be mathematically eliminated. Red Bull insist they will pursue race wins and highlights right through to the finale; Verstappen and team principal Laurent Mekies have urged a race-by-race focus and noted how difficult it can be to predict which circuits will suit which cars.
Remaining fixtures: Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, Qatar Grand Prix (Nov 28–30, Sprint weekend), and the season finale in Abu Dhabi (Dec 5–7). The championship resumes in Las Vegas, the first of three decisive events that will determine this season’s outcome.