McLaren team boss Andrea Stella is on high alert due to the threat posed by Max Verstappen. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continue to lead the championship, but the Dutchman has been closing in dangerously in the recent Grands Prix. With just four races left, Verstappen is only 36 points behind Norris. As the upcoming São Paulo GP approaches, McLaren remains focused on maintaining their lead in the World Championship.
In an official press release, Stella looks ahead to the race weekend in Brazil and the penultimate sprint of 2025. “It’s time to head to Brazil for the São Paulo GP,” says the Italian. “We are approaching the most exciting time of the year as the 2025 season draws to a close. We are proud that our two drivers are leading the championship, with only one point difference.” He added cautiously, “However, we are acutely aware that we have a very strong opponent in the fight for the driver’s title,” Stella referred to Verstappen. “He didn’t become a four-time world champion for nothing.”
Fierce Competitive Battle
“We will put our maximum effort into the remaining four Grands Prix to ensure that the title remains papaya-colored,” he promised. After an impressive performance in Mexico City, where the MCL39 proved to be the fastest car once again, Stella warns that this is not a given in Brazil. “In Mexico City, the MCL39 was the most competitive, but we should not assume that this will be the same in São Paulo,” he continued seriously. “The competition around us is very strong. We continue to stick to our mentality of taking it race by race and performing as well as possible. Only in this way do we give our drivers the chance to compete for the top positions.”
The upcoming weekend is also a sprint weekend, which according to Stella offers extra opportunities for McLaren to score points against Sergio Perez. At the same time, the team remains alert to the challenges that the circuit and weather conditions in Brazil bring. “A sprint weekend offers us more opportunities to score points,” concluded the team boss. “At the same time, we need to pay even more attention to details to find the right setup, especially considering the limited free practice sessions. As usual, we will also be prepared for the unpredictability of the weather in São Paulo. This has often been a decisive factor here.”
