Verstappen, real threat: McLaren fears Red Bull and the F1 title

Verstappen, a Latent Threat to McLaren in the Formula 1 Championship

Amidst the intense qualifying session in Baku, Max Verstappen secured the pole position. This performance has raised alarms at McLaren, according to Andrea Stella. The championship leader, Piastri, suffered an accident in Q3, while Norris brushed the wall on his crucial lap. Both McLaren drivers will start from ninth and seventh position, respectively. Verstappen, who won the Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago, is 94 points behind Piastri and 63 behind Norris in the championship, with eight races remaining. However, Stella considers Verstappen to be the rival to beat week after week.

“Red Bull has introduced a new floor in Monza. They could be setting up their car differently. We hear Verstappen talking about more ground contact than before. They may have unlocked performance, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Red Bull continues the streak it has started. Pole position in Monza, victory, pole position here; Red Bull is a very serious contender to win races and for the drivers’ championship”.

Max Verstappen

Stella, when asked about the seriousness of his statements, responded emphatically: “Absolutely. Can you write it in capital letters?” Despite McLaren’s dominance this year, Verstappen’s six poles positions in 2025 surpass any other driver. The points margin seems considerable with the remaining races. A victory awards 25 points, which means Verstappen is almost four full victories away from Piastri. Stella suggests that McLaren is worried that their drivers could take points away from each other in the remainder of the year.

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“Of course, of course,” Stella affirmed when asked if she was serious. “We must not forget that, first of all, we have Max Verstappen, world champion of the last four years, in a fast car. As I said before, there are races in which McLaren might not have any advantage in terms of competitiveness. Lando and Oscar are always there, so they won’t necessarily maximize the available points. Sometimes there will be a few more points for Lando and a few more for Oscar, so they could subtract points from each other. We are very aware of this aspect, but we allow them to race because they both deserve to pursue their aspirations. Therefore, yes, Verstappen and Red Bull are in contention for the drivers’ championship.”