Andrea Stella, McLaren’s boss, has insisted his squad need no wake-up call about Max Verstappen’s threat after the Red Bull star outshone them in Japan.
McLaren had stormed through practice at Suzuka, looking like the team to beat, only for Verstappen to snatch pole position by a mere 0.012 seconds from Lando Norris and convert it into a race-day triumph.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured third, but Verstappen’s brilliance stole the spotlight.
Despite McLaren wielding the fastest car on the grid lately, Verstappen has repeatedly defied expectations, maximising Red Bull’s potential.
His form was clear in Australia’s season-opener, where he finished less than a second behind Norris, leaving the pair just one point apart in the drivers’ standings.
Stella brushed off any notion that Suzuka was a reminder of Verstappen’s prowess. “We don’t need these kinds of reminders because we cover this every Thursday and Sunday of every race weekend,” he said to the media.
“Our mission is straightforward: defeat the other teams and position McLaren at the front. When McLaren are in that spot, our drivers can pursue their ambitions.”
He stressed unity, adding, “Results like this just reinforce our need to work well together. There’s a long road ahead to clear our rivals before it’s an internal matter, Mercedes’ George Russell wasn’t far behind in China.”
The next clash awaits at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday. The teams will battle over 57 laps of the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, where McLaren and Verstappen are set to reignite their gripping rivalry.
