McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised Max Verstappen’s exceptional performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, where the Dutchman secured his first victory of the 2025 season.
However, for all the Dutchman’s brilliance, Stella believes the four-time world champion faces an uphill battle to sustain his title bid unless Red Bull can improve the RB21.
Verstappen produced a dominant display at Suzuka on Sunday, his victory halting McLaren’s early-season winning streak and cutting Lando Norris’ lead in the Drivers’ standings to just one point.
But Stella thinks Verstappen’s driving, rather than his equipment, was the defining factor behind his triumph, and that relying solely on individual talent may not be enough to come out on top over the course of a grueling 24-race season.
“I think Max, at the moment, is somehow making the difference himself,” the Italian said in Japan. “But it’s very difficult to keep up for 24 events in a season if you don’t have the best car.”
McLaren had a mixed weekend in Japan, with both Norris and Oscar Piastri qualifying below expectations and a race strategy that some observers described as overly cautious.
Despite that, the team remains the paddock favorite for both titles, with consistently strong showings since the start of the season.
Stella: Car Still King in the Long Run
The McLaren chief emphasized the importance of a competitive car as the foundation for championship success. Therefore, it’s likely that Verstappen’s title hopes rest heavily on Red Bull’s ability to upgrade their RB21 to match McLaren’s pace.
“I think definitely the most important condition to pursue both championships is having the best car,” Stella added.
“So somehow this relates to what I said before — it’s important that when we are not in condition to win we keep racing in a robust way."
“Okay, like if you can’t win, finish on the podium, and in the long term if you keep performing like this, I think this will be rewarding.”
McLaren Keeping an Eye on Mercedes and Ferrari
While the championship battle appears to be shaping into a McLaren vs. Red Bull duel based on last weekend’s race, Stella warned against ruling out Ferrari and Mercedes, who have both shown flashes of speed in the opening rounds.
Lewis Hamilton’s sprint victory in China and George Russell’s early-season podiums demonstrate that the field is still unpredictable.
“We treat Max and Red Bull like Russell,” he noted.
“How can you discount Leclerc-Hamilton? Like obviously Ferrari is struggling a little bit now, but we treat all these certainly within the spectrum of the full season, at least until we have stabilised a little bit."
“Because I think at the moment we are still falling within the variability of the circuits.
“We have Hamilton winning the Sprint in China, Russell being competitive in the race in China. Here we have Red Bull and Max."
“I think we’re still in a transient phase, we’ll have to see how things settle down.”
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