McLaren’s championship situation
McLaren has already secured the Constructors’ Championship well in advance, but the Drivers’ Championship remains undecided. The battle currently involves, in order, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen.
In the last two races, Max Verstappen and George Russell have shown stronger pace compared to the McLaren duo. The Woking team has lost the consistency it displayed at the start of the season, when it led every race.
Pit stop issues becoming evident
A notable problem for McLaren has been the length of their pit stops. This issue became particularly controversial in Italy, where a dispute between the two drivers ended with Piastri having to return a position to Norris after a longer stop for the latter. Unfortunately for McLaren, this scenario has repeated in recent races, highlighting a clear weakness in the team.
Herbert comments on McLaren pressure
Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert offered his insight: “Remember that a couple of years ago, McLaren had world record pit stops, but for some reason, just when they reached their peak, the stops started to go a bit wrong. They seem a little fragile, I suppose, because you can clearly see these errors occurring.”
He continued: “Red Bull will look to capitalize. So, when a very challenging undercut situation arises, which could happen later in the season, McLaren will be under pressure. This is where team harmony probably favors Max and Red Bull, thanks to the strong relationship he has with his crew.”
Internal team tensions and Verstappen advantage
Currently, team harmony at McLaren is being tested due to the internal battle between their drivers. Having two teammates competing for the title is always difficult, but it could benefit the third “contender”: Max Verstappen.
Herbert added: “A different kind of pressure comes into play. Some of it has been created internally with the so-called ‘papaya rules.’ To reduce pressure, the drivers should manage it themselves. I’ve never wanted a team to dictate the outcome of the championship: that’s for the drivers to decide. They didn’t come from karting or F3—they are the best drivers in the world. They have skills that even I don’t fully understand, handling these incredibly fast modern-era cars.”
Possible solutions
The solution might be to let the drivers battle as much as possible, since the “papaya rules” so far have only added to the pressure. How McLaren handles this internal tension in the coming races will be crucial for the title fight.
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