Dropping points to the resurgent Max Verstappen in the title race, Andrea Stella accepts \u201cMax is Max, Red Bull is Red Bull\u201d and McLaren never for even a moment thought the reigning World Champion was out of the fight.<\/p>\n
But despite decimating Oscar Piastri\u2019s lead in the Drivers\u2019 standings from 104 points to 55 in three and a bit grand prix weekends, Verstappen doesn\u2019t believe Red Bull has the pace to challenge McLaren for the World title.<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen v McLaren title fight<\/p>\n
\u2981\tMax Verstappen is only 55 points down on Oscar Piastri in the title fight
\u2981\tReigning World Champion took 49 points out of Piastri\u2019s lead since Zandvoort
\u2981\tVerstappen is not a \u2018casualty\u2019, he\u2019s one of the \u2018best\u2019 F1 has seen<\/p>\n
Back on track after Formula 1\u2019s annual summer break with a seventh victory for this season for championship leader Piastri at the Dutch Grand Prix in a race in which Lando Norris was running P2 before an engine issue, McLaren appeared assured of a World title \u2013 if not the 1-2 \u2013 to go along with its pending F1 2025 Constructors\u2019 crown.<\/p>\n
But while the team did guarantee the teams\u2019 trophy in Singapore, both Piastri and Norris have dropped points to Verstappen<\/a> in the races since Zandvoort.<\/p>\n The reigning World Champion has taken 49 points out of Piastri\u2019s lead, slashing it from 104 points to 55, while his deficit to second-placed Norris is just 33 points.<\/p>\n That\u2019s in three grands prix and one Sprint, and Verstappen is set to start the 56-lap United States Grand Prix ahead of both McLaren drivers with Norris P2 on the grid and Piastri, P6.<\/p>\n The Verstappen and Red Bull threat is nothing new, not a surprise nor a shock, for McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.<\/p>\n \u201cMax is Max, Red Bull is Red Bull,\u201d Stella said in an interview with the official F1 website.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are talking about a super champion, the reigning World Champion for the last four seasons, so in fairness, we have never been naive to say that Verstappen was not in the quest to become Drivers\u2019 World Champion.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has always been something that was clear to us, but ultimately, once we know it, we just focus on ourselves, and I\u2019m actually quite impressed by how much Lando and Oscar are able to just reduce the noise and focus on themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cThey know that if they can extract the best of their potential, they can have very strong weekends and be in control of their own destiny in this quest to become champion.\u201d<\/p>\n F1 2025: The season\u2019s winners and losers<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0The results of the F1 2025 championship <\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0The updated Drivers\u2019 and Constructors\u2019 Championship standings<\/a><\/p>\n Max Verstappen\u2019s blunt assessment in McLaren title fight<\/p>\n But despite Stella\u2019s somewhat bullish claim, Verstappen has entered the title race with Red Bull looking the stronger of the two teams at present.<\/p>\n Two grand prix wins in Italy and Baku, coupled with the Dutchman\u2019s Sprint win in Austin and pole have tipped the scales \u2013 if not the numbers \u2013 in Verstappen\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I mean, it\u2019s very simple,\u201d the 28-year-old told Sky F1, \u201cif you keep winning, then that\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, I do think that the Sprint we won, but the pace was not where I wanted it to be. So, if we are going to win, we definitely need to be stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a sentiment he reiterated in the post-qualifying press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope it\u2019s better,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to say right now what will happen, of course. But at least I felt a bit happier with the car compared to yesterday\u2019s [Friday\u2019s] qualifying, and I hope that\u2019s enough then for the race.\u201d<\/p>\n Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko agrees it\u2019s not easy, but it is also not impossible.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still 55 points behind,\u201d he told Sky Deutschland. \u201cThat\u2019s a lot. <\/p>\n \u201cInternally, I calculated that we would have to make up a total of 15 points here in Austin. And it looks like it could work out.<\/p>\n \u201cThe temperatures will be even warmer [in the grand prix]. So it will be crucial how you use the tyres. You saw that with Russell in the Sprint. He pushed and then the tyres were already in higher temperatures.\u201d<\/p>\n F1 2025: The season\u2019s winners and losers<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0The results of the F1 2025 championship <\/a><\/p>\n