Currently, Lando Norris and McLaren are the biggest challengers to Max Verstappen and Red Bull in both championships. Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, shared his thoughts on Norris’ efforts to regularly beat Verstappen.
After the Sprint in Austria, Norris is 71 points behind Verstappen. In the Constructors’ standings, Red Bull leads third-placed McLaren by 89 points.
Andrea Stella’s Perspective:
Stella said they always start weekends with high hopes, but Max often dampens their optimism. “Certainly we always enter weekends with a lot of hope, and then as we go through the session Max kind of compromises this optimism,” he stated. However, giving up isn’t an option for them. They aim to make the most out of every session and see where they stand at the season’s end.
Some have questioned why Oscar Piastri wasn’t instructed to let Norris pass since Norris is closer in the championship standings. Helmut Marko was among those surprised by this decision.
Stella explained that they need to be mindful of their progress because decisions about resource allocation between this year’s car and next year’s may arise. But for now, no major decisions are needed; their focus remains on doing their best to beat Max for a more thrilling Formula One experience.
Fans might think it’s a tough challenge ahead for McLaren against such strong competition.
In conclusion, Stella emphasized that they are committed to improving each race weekend without making any drastic changes yet. What do you think? Can McLaren catch up?
