McLaren’s F1 dominance shouldn’t be “snug”

McLaren group principal Andrea Stella says his group will not take its foot off the throttle after one other dominant 1-2 on the Belgian Grand Prix. 

Oscar Piastri gained his sixth grand prix of the season forward of Lando Norris after passing his team-mate initially of a blended climate race. The Australian ultimately led Norris house for the group’s third consecutive 1-2 victory. 

McLaren launched its newest upgrades in Spa, a brand new low-downforce rear wing meeting that made its 2025 automobile extra environment friendly and also needs to be used at different appropriate circuits like Monza, Baku and Las Vegas. 

McLaren’s dominance has shifted focus from any exterior problem by the likes of Max Verstappen, who left Belgium 81 factors in arrears, to the papaya squad’s intra-team battle between Piastri and Norris selecting up steam as they assault the second half of the season. 

With simply 16 factors between them, McLaren is adamant it can let the title combat play out naturally between chief Piastri and challenger Norris. 

“If I would like it to be snug, then I am not doing the best job,” Stella stated. “I am probably not inquisitive about being snug, I am inquisitive about placing McLaren in the absolute best place to succeed, which implies competing for the constructors’ world championship and, if doable, ensuring that the drivers’ world championship is a matter between the 2 McLaren drivers. 

“Along with that, even when this does not make my life or Zak [Brown, CEO]’s life any less complicated, we’re additionally racing in a sure approach, which is open, which can give our drivers the chance to specific their skills, their aspirations, their high quality, their fixed growth. 

“That is what we’re right here for, and we’re very privileged to be on this place. Not solely with the group we now have, however with Oscar and Lando, who’re two nice drivers, however above all, two nice people.” 

McLaren’s newest 1-2 lockout got here at a traditionally troublesome Spa-Francorchamps circuit as nicely, which Stella felt was “notably vital” because it confirmed simply how a lot McLaren has improved its weaknesses over the previous two years, with aerodynamic effectivity one key subject that has been fully circled. 

Stella echoed Norris’ current feedback that race weekend execution would be the deciding issue within the championship, with Norris and Piastri evenly buying and selling blows however Norris having made extra errors this yr than his Australian team-mate. 

“I believe the execution is what will make the primary distinction,” he agreed. “We are going to try to make it possible for from a reliability viewpoint, from a group operation viewpoint, we’re nearly as good as doable, such that it will likely be the drivers deciding their very own consequence by way of competing for the drivers’ world championship.”