Stella maintains that Verstappen remains in the championship race.

      "Maybe they're configuring their car a bit differently."

      21 September 2025 - 10:40

      Andrea Stella asserts that Max Verstappen cannot yet be dismissed from the 2025 world championship battle, even as McLaren nears securing the constructors' title.

      The Woking-based team could potentially clinch the teams' championship as soon as Sunday in Baku, but team principal Stella informed De Telegraaf that Verstappen's recent performance—with a pole and victory at Monza, along with another pole on Saturday—indicates the drivers' contest is still alive.

      "Do I still see Verstappen as a contender? Absolutely," he stated emphatically. "Make sure to emphasize that."

      "We have already agreed internally that Red Bull's win at Monza two weeks ago shouldn't be seen as an anomaly. They came there with a new floor, and they might be configuring their car differently."

      Nevertheless, McLaren's weekend has been chaotic. Oscar Piastri crashed into the wall during a qualifying session that was marred by red flags on Saturday. "I think aiming for the win would be a bit too hopeful," acknowledged the championship leader.

      Teammate Lando Norris, who also miscalculated his position in the session, expressed his disappointment: "It stings a bit, simply because this isn’t typical for us."

      "If there had been a red or yellow flag, everyone else would have looked like losers. Now I end up looking like the loser while they appear as heroes, but that’s the cost we sometimes have to bear."

      Norris admitted that winning seemed improbable. "Red Bull is just too quick. They’re very fast, nearly as fast as us."

      However, Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko is skeptical about Stella’s assertion that Verstappen can return to the championship chase. "Theoretically, it’s still possible," he remarked. "But in practice, numerous factors must align, making it unrealistic for us."

      Marko is somewhat optimistic about the atmosphere under Laurent Mekies since the departure of Christian Horner. "The driver is more engaged with him, and the team spirit has significantly improved," he told Kleine Zeitung.

      "Max is a seasoned driver, and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is also among the elite. Now both are sharing their experiential knowledge more freely, which strengthens our foundation."

      Still, he expressed caution regarding race strategy following Baku's qualifying session. "We had to utilize more tires than initially planned. I still believe we have a solid chance here."

      Former F1 driver Christijan Albers also thinks McLaren remains stronger over the race duration. "The McLarens are still superior, quicker, and very dominant," he told Viaplay.

      "But Red Bull consistently stays on top of things. You can see this with the red tires, especially when temperatures drop and it rains. They are always present. You don’t observe that level of consistency with the other teams, which I find quite impressive.

      "They’ve made a strong comeback, but there is still considerable room for enhancement in this regard."

      However, McLaren's Stella wrapped up by saying, "We must remember that they have Max Verstappen on their side, and it’s no coincidence that he has won the championship four times in succession.

      "And as I’ve mentioned previously, there will undoubtedly be races where McLaren lacks a competitive edge."