F1 Silverstone: Andrea Stella believes Max Verstappen can’t be counted out after pole. Andrea Stella says it’s naive to rule out Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver took pole at Silverstone..

Andrea Stella, Team Principal of the McLaren Formula 1 team, believes that Max Verstappen is now a serious contender to win the 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. His confidence is based on the strong race pace the Red Bull Racing driver displayed during Friday’s long runs, as well as his commanding performance in Saturday’s qualifying session.

Max Verstappen Secures Career Pole Number 44 at Silverstone
When most expected a head-to-head battle between Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren Racing during Q3 at Silverstone, it was once again Max Verstappen who rose to the occasion. The Dutch sensation delivered a flawless lap at the historic British circuit, while his closest competitors from McLaren and Ferrari failed to match his precision and pace. As a result, Verstappen secured the 44th pole position of his Formula 1 career—further solidifying his status as one of the sport’s greatest qualifiers.

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the strength of Red Bull’s comeback after a Friday that appeared less promising in terms of single-lap performance. According to Andrea Stella, Verstappen’s ability to capitalize on even the smallest window of opportunity and the promising race pace demonstrated by the RB21 now position the Dutchman and his car as strong candidates to claim a third win of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Andrea Stella’s Comments on Verstappen and Red Bull
“The reason why we never count Max Verstappen out is because he is Max Verstappen,” said Andrea Stella following the qualifying session. “It would be extremely naive to think that Max is not in the fight. I think today he gave another demonstration of how fast he is and how capable he is of extracting the maximum from the potential of his car.”

The McLaren team boss continued, “We also know that on these kinds of circuits—smooth, high-speed tracks—Red Bull Racing tends to perform very well. So there’s no surprise when it comes to Max, and certainly no surprise regarding Red Bull.”

Andrea Stella concluded by pointing out that Max Verstappen’s long-run pace on Friday, when the RB21 was running with a heavy fuel load, suggests that he is a very serious contender for the win at Silverstone. “It’s a well-deserved pole position, and based on Friday’s lap times with high fuel, Max is absolutely one of the top favorites to win this Grand Prix.”