Andrea Stella accuses Red Bull of spinning a false narrative to pressure McLaren | F1 Miami GP. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella accuses Red Bull of downplaying its performance .

Max Verstappen “miraculous”, McLaren isn’t having it
It’s hard to believe that McLaren doesn’t have the fastest car on the grid. Since pre-season testing, the Papaya team has shown clear superiority, reaffirmed in all conditions and on every type of circuit in the early part of the season. The results speak for themselves: the Woking-based team has won six out of eight races and has only been beaten in a Grand Prix by Max Verstappen’s extraordinary performance in Suzuka.

Yet, this is precisely what McLaren takes issue with. Team principal Andrea Stella calls it a “narrative” pushed by Red Bull, which deliberately downplays its package and Max Verstappen’s abilities to put pressure on McLaren.

Andrea Stella’s words
“Red Bull is very good at building fast cars. Exceptionally good, I would say, at driving them, and also very good at crafting a beneficial narrative. They seize every opportunity to stay competitive, even by creating a story like, ‘We’re performing miracles, others should be dominating every single practice session, qualifying and race.’ These narratives come from them — we read them and move on. We focus on ourselves, we look at the numbers, the facts, and the many areas where we need to improve,” said Stella after qualifying in Miami, where Max Verstappen once again edged out Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

However, the very “many” mistakes Andrea Stella himself admits are evidence of the gap McLaren holds over the competition. Only when the Papaya drivers make errors do their rivals have the slightest chance, fighting over mere thousandths. Lando Norris knows it, and so does Max Verstappen, who, in pursuit of a fifth world title, also uses verbal tactics — and knows they can work.