McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella commented on the outcome of the 2025 United States Grand Prix in Austin, a race once again won by Max Verstappen, while also addressing the difficulties experienced by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. After four weekends of racing, Piastri has seen a dramatic swing from +104 to +40 points behind Verstappen, losing a total of 64 points. Norris has fared slightly better but still trails the Dutchman by 62 points over the last five Grands Prix. Despite McLaren securing the Constructors’ Championship with six races to spare, the fight for the Drivers’ Championship is now in serious jeopardy.
Piastri struggles explained
Speaking to Sky Sport F1, Stella first explained the reasons behind Oscar Piastri’s difficult weekend and then expressed confidence in the team’s prospects for the final stretch of the season. “Today the conditions were quite particular,” said Stella. “The combination of strong winds and very high temperatures made the car slide significantly. You have to find some feeling and rhythm with limited grip and manage the various lock-ups under braking. This is a condition that doesn’t favor Oscar’s strengths. It’s something he will work on, and, like everything else he has worked on before, he will learn very quickly. Overall, we are not worried about Oscar’s performance — we know there is still some progress to make in these conditions, but we are encouraged by the car’s overall performance.”
Still in control of their destiny
Regarding Max Verstappen’s comeback, Andrea Stella remained calm and reiterated that he has always viewed the championship as a three-way fight. “For me, I see the championship the same way I did before Baku,” he explained. “At that point, I stated that it would be a three-way fight for the Drivers’ Championship. We have always recognized this internally, and now it’s just a matter of acknowledging it publicly: it’s a three-way fight in which we are still in control of our own destiny. We have very competitive material in the car, and we need to do a good job with both drivers and the team. I believe there will be circuits where the strengths of our car can be highlighted, so we look at the next five races with optimism.”
Stella’s comments underline McLaren’s focus on staying calm, analyzing performance issues, and maximizing opportunities in the remaining races of the 2025 F1 season, despite Verstappen’s recent surge in the standings.
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