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McLaren admit Verstappen ‘absolutely’ in title battle
McLaren F1 team principal Andrea Stella has emphasized that Max Verstappen is actively engaged in the world championship battle with McLaren’s drivers.
Following Oscar Piastri’s early retirement in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he scored zero points, and Lando Norris’s seventh-place finish earning only six points, Verstappen’s consecutive victories have placed him just 69 points behind Piastri and 44 points behind Norris in the championship race.
Despite McLaren’s dominance in 2025, with seven one-two finishes and a probable constructors’ title win in Singapore, Verstappen has clinched four victories this season, retaining a chance to equal a fifth consecutive world championship.
Stella’s clear message to his drivers underscores that McLaren should not underestimate Red Bull and Verstappen’s title contention, as the champion outcome remains uncertain regarding the drivers’ lineup.
As McLaren approaches the possibility of clinching a championship double in Singapore by scoring 13 more points, they are determined to secure their first drivers’ title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, with Piastri still holding a substantial lead but facing newfound pressure due to mistakes in Azerbaijan.
