There are eight races to go this Formula 1 season, including the Sunday (1 pm Dutch time) competition in Baku. Including the three sprint traces that follow, there are still a maximum of 224 points to be earned for a driver.
Flawless Max Verstappen is the boss in Baku and his team enjoys: ‘Do a three -minute qualification every week and Max is on pole every week’
World Cup leader Oscar Piastri defends a 31-points lead over teammate Lando Norris. Verstappen – who starts from pole position on Sunday – looks at a backlog of no less than 94 points on Piastri.
“Whether I still see Verstappen as a contender? Absolutely,” said Stella. “Write that with capital letters. We have already concluded internally that Red Bull’s victory in Monza, two weeks ago, should not be seen as an exception. They came there with a new floor and perhaps they adjust their car slightly differently.”
How Red Bull drastically changed the helm and Max Verstappen scared his technical director in Monza
“We must not forget that they have access to Max Verstappen and he has become champion four times in a row for nothing. And as I have said before, there will certainly be races where McLaren has no competitive advantage.”
Max Verstappen takes pole position in Baku and is awarded the prize by influencer Janelle Zharmenova. © ANP/HH
Stella added that McLaren has Piaastri and Norris raced together and that the two also throw each other points. Although at the same time it remains the question of how Red Bull in Singapore in two weeks, on a circuit with much more (slow turns) than in Monza and also in Baku, at the state.
McLaren can already take the constructor title in Baku on Sunday, if it is gathering nine points more than Ferrari and Red Bull and Mercedes do not get too much closer to the stand.