The world title fight for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri has become more complicated after the latest races, but Andrea Stella remains confident as the team approaches Sunday’s decisive event. Lando Norris currently leads the championship with a margin of just 12 points over Max Verstappen and 16 over his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. The second half of the season has featured an extraordinary comeback from the Dutch Red Bull driver, who managed to drastically reduce the gap to the lead, keeping the championship wide open. Ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella previewed the race and set the objectives for the final showdown.
The McLaren team principal presents the world championship challenge
Since the start of the season, the championship battle seemed destined to play out between the two Papaya drivers—until Max Verstappen re-entered the fight. A podium would be enough for Lando Norris to become world champion for the first time in Abu Dhabi, securing a double triumph for the Woking-based team in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.
Andrea Stella, McLaren team principal, stated: “McLaren arrives at the final race of the season having already secured the Constructors’ title with six races to spare, and with Lando and Oscar still fighting for the Drivers’ Championship. If someone had told us ten months ago that we would be in this position, we would have signed immediately! We should be proud of what we have achieved so far and of being protagonists in what will be an important page in Formula 1 history.”
Stella acknowledged that the most recent races were not ideal in terms of the championship, but he also emphasized the team’s ability to respond positively: “The last two races certainly did not go as we wanted, for very different reasons. After every setback, we have always shown that we know how to react, learning from our mistakes and working as a united and cohesive team.”
Abu Dhabi will be no different for McLaren: “It will be the same in Abu Dhabi, on a circuit where twelve months ago we brought the team back to the top. We will do everything possible to put our drivers in the best position to win the title, continuing to pursue our approach to racing with the goal of bringing back to McLaren a double world championship that has been missing for 27 years.”
With the constructors’ trophy already secured and both orange cars still in the hunt for drivers’ glory, Andrea Stella’s message is clear: McLaren is ready to complete the first double since 1998 – and they would have taken this scenario in a heartbeat at the start of the year.
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