Lando Norris was over the moon after securing his second consecutive P2 finish in Japan last weekend. Showing immense faith in the latest upgrade pack by McLaren, the 23-year-old issued a warning to runaway championship leaders Red Bull to watch over their shoulders. However, Motorsport.com quotes the words of team principal Andrea Stella, who has a much more realistic approach and claims that Max Verstappen and Red Bull is miles ahead in the competition.
McLaren stand as the most improved team on the grid from the start of the season. With their second major upgrade pack of the season in Japan, the Woking-based team blitzed to the podium by securing P2 and P3. Only Max Verstappen was better on the day, as he returned to his dominant best and he won the race by a margin of over 19 seconds. Keeping the same in mind, Stella realizes his team has a long way to go before catching the two-time defending world champion.
Max Verstappen way ahead of McLaren, claims Andrea Stella
Despite finishing 19 seconds after Verstappen, Norris was extremely happy with his team’s incredible rise. After the race ended, he issued a warning to the constructor’s champions as he said, “We are coming for Red Bull.” However, a much more calm Andrea Stella details the vast difference between his team and Verstappen, as reported by Motorsport.com.
“Still a big step.” (Stella’s answer when asked how far Red Bull Racing is away from McLaren) “But in all honesty, Max seems to be that big step”.
Another concern for the 52-year-old is the potential of seeing his team’s progress come to a grinding halt. As they continue to strive for perfection, McLaren needs to pay attention and not skip any methodical steps, says Stella, as it could lead to a technical fault with the car and halt their progress entirely. Much like it happened with Aston Martin, Stella realizes his team is not immune to paying a hefty price if they become careless.
The road ahead is smoother for Verstappen
With Stella admitting Verstappen is a “big step” ahead of McLaren, the Dutchman seems to have plucked the final thorn out of his way. Of the six races remaining in the season, all six tracks suit the McLaren cars, and they are expected to enjoy strong outings in all these races. However, Stella says the tracks equally suit the needs of the RB19, and vying for a race win might be a pipe dream.
Formula One heads to Qatar in two weeks, where Verstappen’s primary aim will be to secure his third consecutive world title. While he has to do the bare minimum to seal the deal, knowing the Dutchman, he will likely assert his dominance over the rest of the grid before taking the chequered flag for his 2023 Driver’s World Championship.
