F1 | McLaren disaster in Baku qualifying: Andrea Stella warns of Max Verstappen threat in championship. McLaren struggles in Baku qualifying as Oscar Piastri hits the wall and Lando Norris finishes seventh.

McLaren ended qualifying in Azerbaijan with disappointing results, as Max Verstappen claimed pole position. Oscar Piastri crashed into the wall in Q3 and will start ninth, while teammate Lando Norris could only manage seventh despite completing the full session. Andrea Stella commented on McLaren’s performance in Baku, highlighting a potential threat for the drivers’ championship.

Even more than Piastri vs Norris

While many expect the main battle to be between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, McLaren’s Team Principal Andrea Stella warned not to underestimate the Dutchman. Red Bull brought an upgrade in Monza that appears to have given the RB21 a significant advantage. Tomorrow presents a big opportunity for Max Verstappen to disrupt McLaren’s plans.

The Red Bull factor

Through a detailed post-qualifying analysis, Andrea Stella discussed McLaren’s challenges. The Baku circuit does not favor the car that has dominated much of the season. In general, low-downforce and low-degradation tracks diminish the car’s advantage.

“At Baku, and next at Las Vegas, we are not surprised to see other cars as competitive as McLaren,” Stella told media including F1inGenerale. “Red Bull’s performance in Monza shouldn’t be seen as an isolated case due to Monza’s low-downforce layout. They introduced a new floor and set up their car slightly differently.”

The Verstappen threat is now a key concern for McLaren: “I wouldn’t be surprised if they continue the streak started with pole in Monza, followed by the win, and now pole here. Red Bull is a serious contender for both race wins and the drivers’ championship.”

Goals for tomorrow

Baku offers good overtaking opportunities, making a comeback more feasible: “If you exit the last corner strongly, with a tow and DRS, you can overtake. The important thing is to ensure our car is optimal in race conditions. With high fuel consumption we are more competitive, with lower degradation we are less so, as we saw in Monza.”

Despite the challenges, McLaren remains capable of targeting the podium, and with potential Safety Car interventions, a win is not out of the question: “Our goal for tomorrow is certainly the podium. We need to recover to reach the positions we should have been in today in terms of competitiveness.”