Max Verstappen and Red Bull F1 crisis deepens after McLaren statement

Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Red Bull, McLaren, Spanish GP, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Max Verstappen and Red Bull crisis deepens after McLaren statement

Verstappen is falling further behind in the championship

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Saturday 19 July 2025 20:28

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If Max Verstappen wasn't already feeling The Fear about playing out the rest of the 2025 as a relative also-ran while McLaren's fresh-faced duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri run off with his crown, he now has a whole new reason to do so.

McLaren have confirmed that they will be introducing a new floor for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, having given it a test run in FP1 at Silverstone.

Andrea Stella revealed that the team were happy with what they saw of the redesigned part in that sole practice session and, with many teams largely focused on 2026 (or, in one notable case, absent the legendary designer who helped them to buckets of titles), it seems that they'll continue to pull away from the pack.

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McLaren's 460 points is already more than double that of the next team (Ferrari, 222) at the season's halfway point, while both Piastri and Norris are more than two full races clear of Verstappen at the top of the drivers' standings.

Stella: We are pretty pleased with upgrade

Speaking to media including GPFans at the British Grand Prix weekend, team principal Stella revealed: “With the new floor in FP1, the plan was always going to be that the floor was a test floor.

“[It is so we can get an] early read of this new specification, because the next race is a Sprint event where it is more difficult to introduce a new specification, and make proper comparisons.

“We are actually pretty pleased with what we have seen in FP1. All the indications are leading us to introduce this new floor at upcoming events.”

F1 returns to the track next weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, after which will come the Hungarian Grand Prix and an extended summer break of four weeks before the Dutch Grand Prix.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen heading for Red Bull exit as champion confirms 2026 decision