F1 champion Max Verstappen exposes McLaren championship flaw

Max Verstappen at Monza — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Analysis

Max Verstappen exposes McLaren championship flaw

The Italian Grand Prix revealed what is wrong with McLaren's drivers

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 7 September 2025 17:57

The Italian Grand Prix showcased a major problem that McLaren have with their driver lineup before 2026.

And that's that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are too nice! And, perhaps more importantly, they are not Max Verstappen.

If the four-time world champion's RB21 was even a slightly better car, Verstappen would have walked this world championship.

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He's now claimed three race victories and is just 94 points behind championship leader Piastri. Do we dare write him off with eight races left in the season?

McLaren's indecision bites again

While much of the focus will be on McLaren's decision to pit Piastri first in the closing stages of the Italian GP which once again put their drivers in an awkward position, the drivers themselves did not cover themselves in glory.

Both of them are wanting to become a world champion in 2025, and heading into the race there was a 34-point gap between the pair.

Why then, did Norris not fight harder to be given the first pit stop? He was the lead McLaren in the race, and by allowing his team to pit Piastri first in order to protect him from the threat of Charles Leclerc, he allowed for a situation in which Piastri may have been able to undercut him.

Norris should have been more selfish, putting his foot down - as would be his right as the lead car - and demanding to be the first into the pits.

Then, when the inevitable happened and a slow pit stop allowed Piastri to undercut Norris, the attention switched to the Australian championship leader.

An extra couple of points on his championship lead would have been ideal heading into the final eight races of the season, but he allowed Norris to go past him without too much fight being put up over team radio.

A slow pit stop is a racing error. It's hard luck for Norris, but does not need to be rectified by swapping positions between the drivers.

The lack of a killer edge from Piastri in that scenario is not something we would have seen from previous great champions Lewis Hamilton or Verstappen, and Verstappen even laughed at McLaren when told about it over team radio.

Piastri may just lose the title because he was trying to play the team game, and keep Norris happy and, if that happens, he will kick himself forever.

Piastri or Norris not going to be 2026 challengers

And that is because Piastri will not be in this position again. Both he and Norris have proven that they do not have what it takes to be in a proper championship fight.

Because of McLaren's dominance - they're going to win the constructors' championship in round 17 out of 24 for heaven's sake - one of Norris or Piastri will win the drivers' championship.

But they will not be a threat to Verstappen and the likely stronger Mercedes and Ferrari teams in 2026. They simply lack that cutting edge.

The best driver of 2025 is not going to win the championship. That particular accolade goes to Verstappen, with George Russell and potentially even Leclerc and Isack Hadjar coming in ahead of Norris and Piastri if taking car performance out of the equation.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen in Italian GP shock as F1 star hit with Monza penalty

F1 RESULTS: Verstappen snatches Italian GP win after late McLaren drama

Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Italian Grand Prix