P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren could potentially lose the drivers’ title despite having dominated the bulk of the 2025 F1 season.
Guenther Steiner, the former Haas F1 team principal, believes that there is a sense of unhappiness within McLaren, as reported on the Red Flags podcast. Despite the team’s current chance for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri to win the drivers’ title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the threat from Max Verstappen has significantly increased. Verstappen’s surprising victory in Qatar was the result of a strategic error by McLaren that cost Piastri a potential win and Norris a likely podium finish. The decision not to pit either driver after Nico Hulkenberg’s crash put McLaren on the back foot and gave Verstappen a crucial win to stay in the title race. Steiner predicts that if the drivers’ title is not won by Norris or Piastri, the discontent within McLaren will become more evident, despite the team’s efforts to maintain a culture of silence.
