McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has delivered a resounding
verdict on Max Verstappen's drivers' championship chances after
watching the four-time F1 champion clinch back-to-back pole
positions. Just a fortnight after stunning McLaren and its drivers,
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, in qualifying for the Italian Grand
Prix, and then going on to claim victory at Monza, Verstappen
followed up by securing his first pole for the race in Azerbaijan.
Verstappen managed to stay out of trouble on an extraordinary day
when there were six red flags, the last of which saw Piastri end up
in a wall and out of Q3, allowing the Red Bull driver to take full
advantage, where Norris could not. The Briton will start seventh,
just two places ahead of Piastri, after errors on his final run in
Q3, and despite knowing the Australian was out of the picture.
Verstappen goes into the race 94 points adrift of championship
leader Piastri, and 63 behind Norris. Even though there are 224
points still available from the eight remaining races and three
sprints, it seems inconceivable that Verstappen can challenge.
Stella, however, is refusing to rule out the Dutchman. Asked
whether he felt Verstappen was still a factor in the drivers'
championship, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365 ,
Stella replied: "A firm yes. Can you write it in capital [letters]?
It was quoted in capital." Despite the seemingly unbridgeable gap,
Stella added: "Of course. We don't have to forget that, first of
all, he is Max Verstappen, world champion for the last four years
in a fast car. "There are races where McLaren may not enjoy an
advantage from a competitiveness point of view, and also Lando and
Oscar, they are always there. "So they will not necessarily be
maximising the points available. Sometimes it will be a little bit
more points for Lando, [sometimes] a little bit more points for
Oscar. So they may take some points away from each other. "We are
very aware of this aspect, but we let them race because they both
deserve to pursue their aspirations. "Therefore, yes, Verstappen
and Red Bull are in contention for the drivers' championship."
verdict on Max Verstappen's drivers' championship chances after
watching the four-time F1 champion clinch back-to-back pole
positions. Just a fortnight after stunning McLaren and its drivers,
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, in qualifying for the Italian Grand
Prix, and then going on to claim victory at Monza, Verstappen
followed up by securing his first pole for the race in Azerbaijan.
Verstappen managed to stay out of trouble on an extraordinary day
when there were six red flags, the last of which saw Piastri end up
in a wall and out of Q3, allowing the Red Bull driver to take full
advantage, where Norris could not. The Briton will start seventh,
just two places ahead of Piastri, after errors on his final run in
Q3, and despite knowing the Australian was out of the picture.
Verstappen goes into the race 94 points adrift of championship
leader Piastri, and 63 behind Norris. Even though there are 224
points still available from the eight remaining races and three
sprints, it seems inconceivable that Verstappen can challenge.
Stella, however, is refusing to rule out the Dutchman. Asked
whether he felt Verstappen was still a factor in the drivers'
championship, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365 ,
Stella replied: "A firm yes. Can you write it in capital [letters]?
It was quoted in capital." Despite the seemingly unbridgeable gap,
Stella added: "Of course. We don't have to forget that, first of
all, he is Max Verstappen, world champion for the last four years
in a fast car. "There are races where McLaren may not enjoy an
advantage from a competitiveness point of view, and also Lando and
Oscar, they are always there. "So they will not necessarily be
maximising the points available. Sometimes it will be a little bit
more points for Lando, [sometimes] a little bit more points for
Oscar. So they may take some points away from each other. "We are
very aware of this aspect, but we let them race because they both
deserve to pursue their aspirations. "Therefore, yes, Verstappen
and Red Bull are in contention for the drivers' championship."
The post McLaren make 'capital letter' judgment on Max Verstappen F1 title chances appeared first on RacingNews365.