Piastri and Norris warned they must do 'better job' to win title

The US GP continued a worrying trend for McLaren, who once again lost ground to Max Verstappen in the drivers standings. The Dutchman secured victory in both the Sprint Race and Grand Prix, applying more pressure on Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to respond.

Since Piastri’s Zandvoort triumph, Verstappen has won three out of four races. Singapore was the only race in this sequence where he failed to reach the top step of the podium – and even then he finished ahead of both McLaren drivers.

As the reigning Champion hunts down the papaya duo, there is a growing sense he could pull of a comeback to end the season.

In a bid to restore calm and perspective to his ranks, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella emphasises that this year’s title race is still in the control of his engineers and drivers. However, he demands more from all sections of his squad.

Piastri and Norris can increase gap to Verstappen, says Stella

McLaren enjoyed a relatively comfortable advantage to Red Bull up until the summer break, allowing Piastri and Norris to create a large cushion in the standings. However, in just four races, Verstappen has gained 64 points on the Championship leader.

Assuming this trend continues, there is a realistic chance the 28-year-old can retain his crown.

Red Bull’s resurgence has been pivotal, with team principal Laurent Mekies overseeing a series of key developments. The first was a change in approach, with the Frenchman pushing the team to become less reliant on its increasingly inaccurate simulator – instead utilising the knowledge of engineers and feedback from drivers.

Alongside this, upgrades have transformed the RB21. The car produced in Milton Keynes is far more consistent and pleasant to drive than it was previously. Front wing modifications, which Tsunoda will hope to receive this weekend in Mexico, have also been transformative.

However, Andrea Stella insists that McLaren are still capable of responding, as he told the media in COTA:

“The fact that we still have five races plus two sprints means we also have a chance to increase our lead over Max. That’s how I see it.

“I think we’re now getting to a few tracks that suit our car well. I also think that we could have gotten even more out of our car.

“And that applies to the drivers in some ways as well. I think they themselves know that they could have done a better job in some of the recent races.”

“For this reason, we see the next five races as opportunities to increase the gap to Max.

“When it comes to instructing a driver, it should only be done if it’s mathematically justified.”

A double-edged sword for McLaren

The Italian team principal makes a mature assessment of the current situation at McLaren. To some extent, the Woking-based outfit must confront the fact Red Bull are more competitive than at any other stage in 2025.

At the same time, McLaren themselves have committed many unforced errors.

Mistakes from both drivers in Baku essentially gifted victory to Verstappen, who benefited from clear air as Piastri watched from the sidelines after his crash and Norris got stuck in traffic. In Singapore, meanwhile, Norris was clearly faster than his Dutch rival – limited only by a lack of overtaking opportunity.

This is something the four-time Champion admitted post-race. Even last weekend in COTA, Norris could have given Verstappen some serious headaches without the stubborn defence of Charles Leclerc.

Red Bull have not suddenly produced a dominant car with a massive advantage over McLaren. However, both Verstappen and Laurent Mekies’ engineers have done a better job of execution and fighting for the smallest of margins.

In this sense, Andrea Stella recognises his personnel must take a step forward in response to an elevated level of performance from Red Bull.