Guenther Steiner has offered advice to McLaren to avoid looking “stupid” in the battle for the 2025 drivers’ championship. The former Haas team principal urged McLaren to focus on Oscar Piastri rather than Lando Norris in the title fight.
At present, the Australian driver remains 25 points ahead of his teammate with seven races remaining in the season. Both McLaren drivers suffered a disastrous weekend in Baku, and the situation in the championship hasn’t changed much. However, a single win would be enough for Lando Norris to catch up with Oscar Piastri, and he will have that opportunity as soon as the Singapore Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen dominated in Baku, securing his second consecutive victory and closing the gap to both McLaren drivers. This performance could put him back in contention for the drivers’ championship if he continues his winning streak in the upcoming races.
Steiner believes that McLaren would embarrass themselves if, in the end, they allowed Max Verstappen to snatch the championship right under their noses.
Steiner’s comments
“In the end, you want to win the drivers’ championship as well, not just the constructors’,” Steiner said on the podcast The Red Flags.
“The team is more important than the driver, and the drivers are, as I always say—and I don’t mean to belittle them—just a part of the team.”
“And neither of them can win, so instead of having two drivers fighting and losing everything, you make sure someone wins,” the former team principal added. “As much as Lando Norris is the face and the favorite son, I think McLaren has to rise above all this, and it will.”
“It’s crazy, but it has to be done. In my opinion, it’s necessary to do it to win.”
Steiner continued: “I think they will make a decision. Because otherwise, if they lose because of that decision, how stupid would that be?”
“I mean, I think McLaren should have learned something from last year and how they acted. It didn’t work. And if they do the same this year… until now it was as if Max Verstappen wasn’t a real threat,” he commented.
“It’s nice to let them race. And it is nice, actually. It’s not just visually appealing, it’s also enjoyable for the fans watching. But now it’s reaching a point where losing the drivers’ championship could harm the team.”
“So, if you manage the team, you have to prevent that from happening by setting a rule that might upset someone. And that’s how it should be,” Guenther Steiner admitted.
Finally, with Max Verstappen poised to claim his fifth consecutive championship, Steiner actively urges McLaren to focus entirely on Oscar Piastri.
When asked when, if he were the team principal, he would decide to back one driver over another in the title fight, Steiner didn’t hesitate to respond.
“I would do it now,” the Italian said. “I would do it because I just want to make sure we win the championship. I said I think Max can’t catch up, but if I already sense a risk, why would I take it?”
“And that also sends a message to Max. He will do everything to win, after all,” he concluded.
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