Stella praises Red Bull but hints at COTA edge for McLaren

McLaren may have missed out on Sprint pole at the Circuit of the Americas by a hair’s breadth, but team boss Andrea Stella believes the Texan heat could yet turn the tables on Red Bull’s Max Verstappen when it really counts.

After a sizzling Friday showdown that saw Lando Norris finish just 0.071s shy of the reigning champion, Stella struck a confident tone – not of frustration, but of anticipation.

While Verstappen’s narrow edge in Sprint Qualifying confirmed Red Bull’s return to peak form, the Italian sees plenty of reasons for McLaren to stay upbeat.

Red Bull Now Competitive Everywhere

“I think this is actually a relatively genuine representation of the competitive field being very close at the top,” Stella told Sky Sports F1. “It confirms that Red Bull have definitely improved their car. They are competitive now and can fight for victories and pole position on every kind of circuit.

“It’s also positive to see that our car here is competitive compared to some other venues in which we struggled a little bit.

“It’s not the result we wanted – we are here for pole positions, obviously – but I think it’s a good foundation for the sprint race tomorrow and also a good foundation to see where we can finetune the performance a little bit and give it another go at the pole position tomorrow.”

McLaren’s performance in Austin offered reassurance after a string of circuits that exposed the limits of the MCL39. And as temperatures soared above 30°C, Stella’s focus shifted from qualifying pace to what could become McLaren’s trump card in race conditions: tyre management.

Tyre Degradation: McLaren’s Secret Weapon?

With track temperatures baking above 40°C, Stella believes the Sprint – and the full Grand Prix to follow – could see tyre wear play a decisive role. And that’s where McLaren, he suggests, could spring a surprise.

“Here in Austin we should observe more tyre degradation,” he explained. “The conditions are very hot. I think we come from races where it was a little bit of a procession because there wasn’t much tyre degradation.

“I would expect here that the race or the sprint may be more entertaining and there could be more variability based on the behaviour of the tyres. Normally our car is decent when there is tyre degradation.”

In short, Stella is betting that the very conditions which punish most teams could become McLaren’s weapon — a chance to pressure Red Bull into the kind of mistakes that only surface when rubber starts to fade.

Norris hopeful, Piastri self-critical

Lando Norris, who came agonizingly close to denying Verstappen yet another Sprint pole, echoed his boss’s cautious optimism. The Briton admitted that losing out was no shock – but he’s banking on McLaren’s long-run form to turn the tide.

“It’s not a surprise for us to be just a bit slower than the Red Bull lately,” Norris said.

“We struggled the whole year with our qualifying pace, especially when it’s close. That’s why I think I would say not surprised. But we have more hopes for the race that we can get back ahead. Normally our race pace is a bit better.”

Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, was left ruing a scrappy lap that cost him a shot at the front row. Yet even the Australian championship leader found solace in McLaren’s underlying strength.

“A pretty scruffy lap, to be honest, I just didn’t really get it together,” he admitted. “In some ways I feel a bit fortunate to be third.

“But I think the pace in the car is good and it’s not like it’s been a disastrous day at all. Just been a little bit of a messy lap that I can hopefully tidy up for tomorrow.

The papaya cars may not have topped the timesheets on Friday, but as Stella hinted, the battle in Austin is far from over. Tyres – not raw speed – could tell the story this weekend.

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