McLaren chief issues F1 title warning after Max Verstappen lesson

Stella, Verstappen, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

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McLaren chief issues F1 title warning after Max Verstappen lesson

It'd be one of the great stories of all time if they pull it off!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Wednesday 12 August 2026 13:57

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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has insisted that the end of the 2025 season is reason for optimism about the team's title chances.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were in a class of their own by the summer break last year, but a Red Bull and Max Verstappen comeback pushed the title race all the way to the final race.

McLaren are looking at a similar deficit to Mercedes at the halfway point of the 2026 season, and performed so strongly at the Hungarian Grand Prix – Norris winning by a distance and Piastri performing well before his car gave out – that they aren't ruling out the sort of second-half chase they were on the opposite end of last year.

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Stella confirmed the obvious – that this year's title battle will be won in the factory and the wind tunnel in an all-out development race – and backed his team to be able to continue their forward momentum, citing the lesson they learned from Red Bull and Verstappen.

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Stella: We remember last year's lesson well

Asked whether his team could get back in the drivers' and constructors' title fights, Stella said: "That's a difficult question, but there's a very clear answer.

"If we can continue the season as we did in Budapest, we can still achieve a great deal. To do so, we must keep pushing with the development of the MCL40 and ensure we outpace our rivals - who certainly aren't standing still - in this race within the race, which is the competition over updates.

"The result will depend on how effective the solutions we bring to the track prove to be. In the first part of the season, we struggled more than we expected in this regard too, but I believe that in recent years, once we've gained some momentum, we've been able to maintain it.

McLaren currently sit 159 points off the lead of the constructors' championship, but Stella added: "There are still 12 races left on the calendar, so there are plenty of opportunities given that 546 points are up for grabs.

"Of course, the gap in both championships is significant, but we remember last year's lesson well.

"After all, I always tell the team that if we've set up a new display cabinet to house the new, recent trophies at the McLaren Technology Centre, then we have a duty to do our utmost to keep filling it..."

F1 Max Verstappen McLaren Andrea Stella