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McLaren Faces Harsh Judgment as Max Verstappen Pressure Mounts: ‘It’s Clear’
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Highlights
- McLaren’s performance edge has vanished amid Verstappen’s rising challenge.
- Verstappen won three of last four races, closing championship gap.
- Verstappen reduced points deficit to McLaren’s Piastri from 104 to 40.
- McLaren drivers Piastri and Norris struggle in qualifying and races.
- Team leadership shows tension as pressure mounts against Verstappen’s surge.
- Upcoming races critical for McLaren amid Verstappen’s growing title bid.
Ralf Schumacher warns McLaren’s momentum has ebbed just as Max Verstappen intensifies his title push, shifting pressure onto the Woking team during the late-season run-in.
McLaren clinched the constructors’ championship in Singapore, yet has gone four races without a win, while Verstappen triumphed in three to reignite Red Bull’s campaign.
Before Monza, Verstappen trailed Oscar Piastri by 104 points; the deficit now stands at 40, keeping a fifth straight drivers’ title within reach as the calendar tightens.
Schumacher argues McLaren’s issues extend beyond outright pace, citing qualifying inconsistency and race execution. Lando Norris needing multiple laps to clear Charles Leclerc underscored the erosion of McLaren’s superiority.
“Their dominance has disappeared overnight,” Schumacher observes, reflecting tightening margins in qualifying and race trim.
The tone inside McLaren also appears to have shifted. Zak Brown looks less relaxed trackside, while Andrea Stella projects a tighter, more cautious stance as pressure builds.
That backdrop fuels the perennial question of driver prioritisation. Schumacher believes McLaren cannot favour Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris now, warning any tilt risks inflaming an already delicate competitive balance.
Verstappen has cut Piastri’s lead from 104 points to 40 since Italy, taking three wins in the last four races.
McLaren leads on combined 678 points, per the 2025 standings. Piastri has 346, Norris 332, and Verstappen 306, positioning Red Bull’s spearhead to capitalise on any further slip.
The next phase spans Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. Varied layouts and temperatures will stress setup range, tyre management, and operational sharpness across successive weekends.
McLaren is winless across the last four rounds as Verstappen’s execution and consistency intensify the title narrative.
To arrest the slide, McLaren needs cleaner Saturdays and firmer race control, stabilising strategy calls and tyre usage to keep track position against Red Bull’s increasingly robust baseline.
With margins narrowing, the title will likely hinge on execution under pressure. McLaren must rediscover its edge quickly, or Verstappen’s surge may decide the championship run-in.
Visual Summary
🏎️
🛞
🏎️
Verstappen
Pts Lead: 104
➔
40
now
McLaren
Verstappen
Verstappen
Internal Pressure
🔥
Zak Brown & Stella visibly tense
🏁
Piastri
346
🏁
Norris
332
🏆
Verstappen
306
Can McLaren hold off Verstappen’s charge?
Momentum shifts, nerves build, the lead shrinks—five showdown races remain in a battle that tests both speed and resolve.
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
