McLaren boss Andrea Stella insists the team are “not naive” as the intensity in F1’s title race ramps up ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Las Vegas marks the start of a triple-header to conclude the season, with Lando Norris leading team-mate Oscar Piastri by 24 points and Max Verstappen by 49. Norris has taken maximum points from the last two race weekends in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, establishing himself as favourite for the world title.
Stella said: “We are not naive. We know that the pressure is high. We know that the stake is big, but we will continue leaning on our framework, on our principles, on the good conversations. So far, what I’ve seen is that Lando and Oscar have always been very supportive. Oscar talked very clearly about the respect – the mutual respect, the mutual support that is happening between himself and the team, and likewise is happening with Lando. So we are in a strong position. We are not naive, but we will work very hard to make sure that this position stays until the end of the championship.”
It seems increasingly likely the title will be decided across the final rounds in Qatar (November 28-30) or Abu Dhabi (December 5-7), but Stella is not worried about tension spilling over between his drivers.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, reflecting on the last intra-team title battle in 2016 between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, praised McLaren’s handling: “How McLaren have handled it is very good, letting them race. I don’t see a situation where they take each other out. I think just let them race, make no contact.” Wolff also noted how Mercedes might have handled their own internal tensions better in hindsight.
Former world champion Jenson Button described the emotional toll on drivers fighting for a title. “Since you were five years old, this was always the dream. Suddenly, you can grab it in your hands, but it’s whether you can carry that to the finish line,” Button said, praising how Norris has coped with pressure.
Norris: staying focused
Norris has outscored Piastri in the last six races, a run dating back to the Italian Grand Prix in September when McLaren swapped their drivers after a slow pit stop for Norris. Despite momentum, Norris remains measured about the prospect of becoming Britain’s first new F1 world champion since Button in 2009.
“Brazil just felt like another weekend where I came here to try and win, to get the most points I could, and did that,” Norris said. “I did that in Mexico, so I think neither are turning points. They’re just strong results, which is exactly what I need, exactly what I’m fighting for every single weekend and every day. Just very pleased, but it’s still a long way to go. So, no point getting too happy or excited just yet.”
Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz has observed a different side to Norris off the track, noting the driver keeps his celebrations measured as a focus mechanism: “He knows this is the best chance… and just doesn’t want to get ahead of himself too soon.”
Can Piastri respond?
With three rounds remaining, Piastri must hit back and likely cannot afford to drop more points to his team-mate. The Australian has been outqualified by at least two tenths in Austin, Mexico City and Sao Paulo, a trend that concerns the team. Stella believes Piastri can improve on low-grip circuits, and cooler Las Vegas temperatures this weekend could suit that development.
“Clearly something has been a bit odd. The car’s been more or less the same,” Piastri said. “We’ve been trying to put it in the same window, but just other factors have made things difficult. But I’m also trying to work on how I can adapt to that better and kind of add more tools to my arsenal.” Piastri can draw on experience from his manager Mark Webber, who narrowly missed the 2010 title to a team-mate.
Kravitz suggested Piastri may need a dip in Norris’s form or something exceptional from himself to change the championship dynamic: “Oscar will have to do something special and hope that some weird thing happens to Lando because Lando’s absolutely found his form.”
Verstappen seeking a miracle
Verstappen all but ruled out an incredible comeback after losing 13 points to Norris in Brazil; he is almost two full race wins behind. If Norris outscores Verstappen by at least nine points in Las Vegas, the Dutchman would be officially out of title contention. To stay realistic, Verstappen needs wins and for McLaren to falter—possibly a repeat of McLaren’s disappointing Vegas result from a year ago when they finished sixth and seventh.
“We will still try everything we can until the end of the season to score some highlights and try to win races – that’s what we are here for,” Verstappen said.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies urged a race-by-race approach and hailed his team’s turnaround in Sao Paulo, where Verstappen recovered from a poor qualifying to finish on the podium. Mekies warned, though, that Las Vegas is a very different challenge: “We have been quite regularly wrong at predicting where tracks will be suiting us or not… So, honestly, it’s not where the focus goes. But the focus is on ourselves.”
Remaining races
This weekend: Las Vegas Grand Prix
November 28-30: Qatar Grand Prix (Sprint weekend)
December 5-7: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Formula 1’s title fight continues at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the first of three decisive races to close out the season.