Riccardo Ceccarelli, mental coach at Formula Medicine, analyzed the effects of the United States Grand Prix, noting that Max Verstappen’s comeback may force McLaren to commit to a single driver if the MCL39 cars fail to secure a one-two finish in Mexico.
With three drivers in contention for the championship, Max Verstappen in the Red Bull is proving to be a serious threat to McLaren, who seemed poised to control the Drivers’ Championship after wrapping up the Constructors’ title early. Ceccarelli, who has decades of F1 experience and has coached athletes such as Jannik Sinner, assessed Austin as a turning point that consolidates a trend in favor of the Dutch world champion. “F1 feels like a Hitchcock movie this season. Who would have thought that Max could recover more than 60 points since the Dutch GP and still be in the title fight?” he remarked.
Verstappen’s return heightens the championship suspense. “The season is proving to be spectacular, and recent events contradict my earlier thoughts on long trends and slow momentum shifts. Red Bull seemed in deep crisis, yet they’ve bounced back remarkably fast,” Riccardo Ceccarelli noted ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.
Analyzing McLaren’s recent races, he highlighted some misfortune: in Singapore, the two MCL39s collided at the start, and in Austin, they eliminated each other in the Sprint race. “Such events are hard to repeat and allow Max to close the gap. We should not assume Verstappen is the favorite yet, as the points gap to Oscar Piastri remains significant,” he said.
Ceccarelli also praised Norris’ resilience. “After the Dutch GP retirement, many wrote off Norris. He was more than 30 points behind Oscar Piastri, but now he’s just 14 points down. Lando deserves credit for not giving up and avoiding mistakes, aside from Baku. He’s regained some dominance within McLaren, like two years ago. Oscar Piastri, however, seems to falter under pressure, much like a tennis player afraid to win. He’s under a new kind of stress, leading to cautious races.”
Regarding Oscar Piastri’s mindset, Riccardo Ceccarelli said: “Even top athletes show weaknesses outside their comfort zone. Being in a title fight five races from the end is new for Oscar, and he feels the pressure.” He added that Piastri must overcome the “penalty-kick syndrome”: the one taking the shot carries more pressure than the goalkeeper.
Looking ahead to Mexico, Riccardo Ceccarelli stressed its importance. “McLaren must attempt a one-two finish to extend the lead over Max. Otherwise, team principal Andrea Stella may have to abandon ‘papaya rules’ and prioritize one driver to avoid losing the championship. If Piastri defends a narrow lead, Andrea Stella must decide whether to rein in Norris or risk losing points to Max.”
Finally, Riccardo Ceccarelli emphasized that McLaren cannot be underestimated. “Norris finished just eight seconds behind Verstappen in Austin after being held up by Charles Leclerc. The MCL39 is still competitive, and having two fighting drivers can become a handicap. I’m curious to see if Stella will postpone the ‘papaya rules’ until next year. The next two races will be crucial in shaping strategy and making decisions,” he concluded.
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