McLaren boss Andrea Stella insists the team are “not naive” as the intensity in F1’s title race ramps up ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Las Vegas marks the start of a triple-header to conclude this season with Lando Norris leading team-mate Oscar Piastri by 24 points and Max Verstappen by 49 points.
Norris has taken maximum points from the last two race weekends in Mexico City and Sao Paulo to establish himself as favourite for the world title.
It is increasingly likely the championship will become an inter-team battle in the penultimate event in Qatar on November 28-30 or the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 5-7, but McLaren team principal Stella is not concerned about tension spilling over between his driver.
“We are not naive. We know that the pressure is high. We know that the stake is big, but we will continue leaning on our framework, on our principles, on the good conversations,” he said.
“So far, what I’ve seen is that Lando and Oscar have always been very supportive. Oscar talked very clearly about the respect – the mutual respect, the mutual support that is happening between himself and the team, and likewise is happening with Lando.
“So we are in a strong position. We are not naive, but we will work very hard to make sure that this position stays until the end of the championship.”
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
The last team-mate battle for the title came in 2016 when Nico Rosberg pipped Lewis Hamilton to the championship before shockingly retiring from F1.
Mercedes had to contend with growing tension between Rosberg and Hamilton for three seasons from 2014 to 2016, which Toto Wolff has now admitted could have been handled better.
“How McLaren have handled it is very good, letting them race. I don’t see a situation where they take each other out. I think just let them race, make no contact,” said Wolff.
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Sky Sports’ Anthony Davidson breaks down the best chances of winning the next race in the calendar – the Las Vegas Grand Prix
“The gap that Lando has now is very, very solid, but he can’t afford a DNF either because then it swings in the other direction.
“Obviously, from a spectators’ standpoint, you would want to see it go to the last race on equal points or similar points. But Lando was impressive in the last two races, how he held the nerves and how he scored the points.”
Norris: No point getting too happy yet
Norris has outscored Piastri in the last six races in a run that dates back to the Italian Grand Prix in early September where McLaren swapped their drivers after a slow pit stop for Norris.
Despite having momentum on his side, the 26-year-old is not getting carried away at the prospect of becoming Britain’s first new F1 world champion since Jenson Button in 2009.
“Brazil just felt like another weekend where I came here to try and win, to get the most points I could, and did that,” said Norris.
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Highlights of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
“I did that in Mexico, so I think neither are turning points. They’re just strong results, which is exactly what I need, exactly what I’m fighting for every single weekend and every day.
“Just very pleased, but it’s still a long way to go. So, no point getting too happy or excited just yet.”
Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz has observed a different side to Norris recently outside of the car, particularly after his victories.
“I’m not a great psychologist, so I don’t really understand why Lando doesn’t want to portray too many happy emotions,” he said.
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Lando Norris says hard work and a good team around him is the reason for his resurgence and lead of the F1 driver championship for McLaren
“I guess he’s just using it as a focus mechanism to get himself to the end of the end of the season. He knows that this is best chance, he knows how well he’s turned it around from the Zandvoort oil pipe points loss, and just doesn’t want to get ahead of himself too soon.
“What that does mean for some people is, ‘could you not look happier Lando?’ But I think we’ve got to let him do what he wants to do. And we’ve seen plenty of smiley bits, and I think he just gets sort of a bit tired of all the post-race shenanigans.
“Certainly, when I saw him on the notebook at the end for the photo, he came and waved to the crowd once and then there were a few smiles when they did the photo, but then it was a bit kind of ‘let’s get on with it.’ I think it was a tiring weekend for him as well. It’s tiring to be perfect.
“And so when it gets to the end of it, I think he was just a little bit kind of, ‘ok, let me refresh.’ He’s just thinking about Qatar now, and then he’s just thinking about less Las Vegas, with Qatar being the earliest he can win it, possibly.”
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Lando Norris opened up about caring too much about online criticism sent his way and how shutting it out has helped his current run of form
Can Piastri find a response?
With just three rounds to go, Piastri must hit back and likely cannot afford to drop more points to team-mate Norris but the Australian is still slightly perplexed by his pace deficit.
The three races in Austin, Mexico City and Sao Paulo saw Piastri outqualified by at least two tenths compared to Norris.
The trend is a big concern, particularly as Stella says Piastri can improve on low-grip circuits. The single-digit temperatures in Las Vegas means those conditions will be on the cards this weekend, so, on paper, there might be doubts on Piastri’s side.
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Talking on The F1 Show podcast, Simon Lazenby, Bernie Collins and Ted Kravitz discuss if the Drivers’ Championship battle is over for Oscar Piastri
“Clearly something has been a bit odd. The car’s been more or less the same,” he said.
“We’ve been trying to put it in the same window, but just other factors have made things difficult. But I’m also trying to work on how I can adapt to that better and kind of add more tools to my arsenal.”
Piastri can draw on the experience and learnings of his manager Mark Webber, who narrowly missed out on the 2010 World Championship to team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
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Watch back the big moments that are costing Oscar Piastri in the title race
However, Kravitz thinks it will require a dip in form from Norris for his team-mate to make inroads in the title fight.
He said: “Oscar will have to do something special and hope that some weird thing happens to Lando because Lando’s absolutely found his form, he’s found out how to drive the car. They’ve revolutionised the car’s handling, and I think Oscar knows he’s up against it.
“I can’t really see a situation where he’d be able to beat Lando on pure pace on the evidence of Mexico and Brazil, especially when you’ve got Las Vegas in there when McLaren don’t tend to be feeling like they’re going have the pace of some other people.”
Verstappen looking to stay in championship contention
Verstappen all but ruled out his hopes of an incredible championship comeback after losing 13 points to Norris in Brazil, meaning he’s almost two full race wins behind.
If Norris outscores Verstappen by at least nine points, the Dutchman will officially be out of title contention. To keep his realistic hopes alive, Verstappen will need to win the race and hope for a repeat of McLaren’s disappointing Vegas performance from 12 months ago – where they finished sixth and seventh.
The reigning world champion told Sky Sports F1: “We will still try everything we can until the end of the season to score some highlights and try to win races – that’s what we are here for.”
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Max Verstappen praises his Red Bull team on the changes they made ahead of the Sao Paulo GP, as the Dutchman finished the race in P3 after starting in the pitlane
Team principal Laurent Mekies repeated his mantra of “taking things race by race” but is encouraged by Red Bull’s major turnaround in Sao Paulo that saw them change the car after Verstappen was knocked out in Q1 for the first time on pure pace in his career to starting from the pit lane and finishing on the podium.
Las Vegas is a very different track to Interlagos though, so Red Bull are not getting carried away that Verstappen’s storming Brazil drive will translate to a winning performance this weekend.
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Watch the best overtakes from Max Verstappen’s stellar performance at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix which took him all the way from the pit lane to the podium
“We have been quite regularly wrong at predicting where tracks will be suiting us or not,” said Mekies.
“We didn’t think Monza will be suiting us. We didn’t think Baku will be suiting us. We didn’t think Singapore will be suiting us.
“So, honestly, it’s not where the focus goes, because relative to the others, it’s probably a bit too difficult. But the focus is on ourselves.”
Sky Sports F1’s Las Vegas GP Schedule
Thursday November 20
2am: Drivers’ Press Conference
5am: Paddock Uncut
Friday November 21
12am: Las Vegas GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30am)*
1.55am: F1 Academy Practice*
2.50am: Team Principals’ Press Conference
3.45am: Las Vegas GP Practice Two (session starts at 4am)*
5.25am: F1 Academy Qualifying*
6.10am: The F1 Show*
Saturday November 22
12.15am: Las Vegas GP Practice Three (session starts at 12.30am)*
2.10am: F1 Academy Race One*
3am: Las Vegas GP Qualifying build-up*
4am: LAS VEGAS GP QUALIFYING*
6am: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday November 23
12.15am: F1 Academy Race Two
2.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Las Vegas GP build-up*
4am: THE LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX*
6am: Chequered Flag: Las Vegas GP reaction*
7am: Ted’s Notebook*
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1’s thrilling title race continues with the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
