Stella: Norris Leads But Hasn't Secured 2025 Title

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella warned that Lando Norris’ Sao Paulo win, while impressive, does not yet lock up the 2025 Drivers’ Championship and urged the team to stay focused on each remaining event.

Norris delivered a dominant performance in Brazil to claim his seventh victory of the season. He started from pole and controlled the race aside from 12 laps lost during pit-stop phases. The result extends his advantage to 24 points over team-mate Oscar Piastri and 49 over Max Verstappen, with 83 points still on offer across three Grands Prix and one Sprint.

The season has seen Norris build strong momentum — back-to-back wins and, across the last four rounds, two victories and two additional podium finishes. Piastri, by contrast, has struggled for top-three results and has not visited the podium since Monza in September.

Stella emphasised that McLaren will treat the remaining rounds individually and concentrate on extracting the maximum points available rather than declaring the title decided. He said he prefers a race-by-race approach and rejected any suggestion that Norris already 'owns' the championship.

The principal also stressed the importance of consistent weekends and making the most of opportunities, particularly for Piastri. McLaren’s priority is to replicate the kind of clean execution Norris displayed in Brazil and Mexico and to ensure Oscar converts chances when they arise. Stella added that the team will assess the standings after Las Vegas and then again following Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen, who had to start from the pit lane, nonetheless showed strong race pace and briefly led before his final stop. Stella admitted he was relieved Verstappen pitted when he did, as it allowed Norris to regain the lead without an on-track duel, but he cautioned that Red Bull remain a formidable rival.

He acknowledged the team behind Verstappen made the right tyre call given the heavy tyre degradation in Sao Paulo, and suggested that without the qualifying issue the previous day Verstappen would likely have been in contention for the win.

Stella concluded that McLaren will keep prioritising error-free weekends and strategic execution across the last three venues while keeping a close eye on the points situation as the season reaches its finale.