P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Stella: "Remarkable" Red Bull F1 gap highlights scale of McLaren’s work
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole position at Suzuka, finishing six tenths of a second ahead of McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. This result was a significant achievement for McLaren, but it also highlighted the speed advantage of Verstappen and Red Bull on the challenging circuit. McLaren had hoped to be closer to the Red Bulls and didn’t expect such a large time difference. The team acknowledges that they still have a lot of work to do in terms of aerodynamic performance. While McLaren’s top speed has improved, the weakness in low-speed corners remains a handicap. They will focus on defending against Ferrari and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez rather than challenging Verstappen for the win. Nevertheless, McLaren also recognizes the potential threat from Mercedes, despite their disappointing qualifying performance. The team acknowledges that their best chance to compete with Verstappen is through tactical maneuvers and potentially taking the lead early in the race. However, if Verstappen maintains his pace, McLaren understands that victory is unlikely. They consider themselves in competition with Ferrari and Mercedes, with the latter showing better tire degradation capabilities.
Source: motorsport
