ABU DHABI SHOWDOWN: MAX VERSTAPPEN VS. MCLAREN'S INTERNAL TITLE BATTLE
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri head to Abu Dhabi needing a victory to stop Verstappen from clinching a fifth title. Stella emphasises beating the Dutchman is the team's top priority.
Max Verstappen needs just 12 more points to secure his fifth World Title in a row.
Andrea Stella said, "We'll let our drivers race each other, but our top priority is making sure at least one of them can beat Verstappen."
Oscar Piastri is heading into the final race 16 points behind his teammate, Lando Norris, who is currently leading the standings. (Photo: RacePictures)
After McLaren's risky pit stop strategy backfired in Qatar, the threat to their chances of a one-two championship finish is bigger than ever, as Verstappen took advantage of the situation.
Lando Norris is heading to Abu Dhabi with some pressure, needing a P3 finish to clinch the title.
Oscar Piastri's situation is a bit tougher. He needs to gain 17 points on Norris and 5 on Verstappen to grab his first title.
Piastri felt the strategy mix-up cost him the win, putting Stella in a tough spot. He's considering breaking McLaren's rule of not using team orders to make sure a McLaren driver wins the title.
Stella admitted McLaren's errors have hurt their title chances.
"Our main focus as a team is to make sure we're ready to have perfect race weekends," Stella said after their Qatar defeat.
The car has speed, and the drivers are doing great, but in the last few races, we haven't been able to take advantage of that potential, Stella added, referring to the double DSQ in Las Vegas and the choice not to pit during the Safety Car period in Doha.
Stella is ready to use team orders if needed to win the title battle.
With both drivers in the title fight, our approach stays the same. Oscar and Lando can both compete for the championship.
Oscar can still win the title. We've seen situations like this before where a third driver comes out on top.
Think back to 2007 and 2010. Oscar is fast and deserves a chance to show what he can do.
"We'll let the drivers race, but our main goal is to beat Verstappen with one of our drivers," Stella said.
One thing Norris should be aware of going into Abu Dhabi is that history suggests the championship leader often loses when three or more drivers are still in contention at the final race.
GEORGE RUSSELL ADMITS ANTONELLI IS "EXCEPTIONALLY QUICK" BUT REFUSES TO CONCEDE TITLE
Kimi Antonelli secured his 3rd straight F1 win in Miami, leaving George Russell 43 seconds behind and 20 points down in the title race. (130 chars)
George Russell isn’t flinching. He’s not ready to let go of the story, even as Kimi Antonelli keeps grabbing headlines. Antonelli’s been tearing it up this season – three straight wins, all from pole – and it’s got people talking. Miami was rough for Russell; he finished fourth, over 43 seconds behind Antonelli. That gap isn’t just big; it’s glaring, and it’s putting some real heat on their rivalry at Mercedes.
Russell isn’t pretending things are fine, but he’s not throwing in the towel either. He gets what Antonelli’s doing and gives props where they’re deserved. “He’s a fantastic driver, and he’s been fast since day one,” Russell said. “You don’t win all those championships as a kid if you’re not quick.” He means it, but he’s also drawing a boundary. Russell still believes in himself, and he’s not giving up on the championship.
“I’ve still got confidence in myself, and I haven’t forgotten how to drive,” he said with a little smile. “It’s just a tricky patch, but we’re only four races in; there’s a lot more to come. We’ll sort things out over the next few weeks.”
That “tricky patch” doesn’t just mean some tough luck; it includes a 20-point deficit and a teammate who won’t stop rewriting history. Antonelli’s winning streak has changed the vibe at Mercedes, at least for now.
Russell knows all about momentum and how it doesn’t always stick around. “He’s got momentum right now; he’s flying,” Russell admitted. “But I’ve won championships myself, and I know momentum swings back and forth all year.” He actually doesn’t seem bothered by the points gap. “Honestly, I’m not even thinking about it,” he said.
It’s a calm answer from a guy who’s been here before, leaning on experience while Antonelli rides his hot streak. Russell keeps saying 'big picture, patience, not panic'.
“I just want to get back on top of the podium,” he said. “I had the pace for the first three races, but this weekend I was nowhere close. It could have gone very differently these last few weeks, and this weekend could’ve just been a blip. But some races in Japan and China didn’t go my way. That’s how F1 goes sometimes.”
Still, confidence doesn’t erase a 20-point gap, not if Antonelli keeps cruising. If Antonelli keeps piling up wins, Russell’s going to have to fight more than just the stopwatch. Losing to your teammate over and over starts to mess with your head. Russell began the season as the guy to beat, but the longer this keeps up, the tougher it gets to grab hold of the story again.
He’s holding firm, for now. But F1 doesn’t wait for anyone. What does Russell call “just a tricky run”? Well, if momentum doesn’t swing his way soon, it could become a whole lot more than that.
MAX VERSTAPPEN TAKES FRONT ROW IN MIAMI AS RED BULL UPGRADES DELIVER IMMEDIATE RESULTS
Charles Leclerc admitted surprise at Red Bull's pace after Max Verstappen finished P2, just 0.166s behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc expected Red Bull to bounce back, but he couldn’t help admiring Max Verstappen’s raw speed at the Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull rolled into Miami with a big upgrade, looking to recover after a rough start to the season. Verstappen, a four-time world champ, landed his Red Bull in second during qualifying. He was only 0.166 seconds behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, nearly snatching pole. After qualifying, Verstappen said he finally feels like he’s back in control of his car.
Leclerc was impressed by the turnaround. “Honestly, it’s not shocking to see Kimi up there. Mercedes has been the quickest team this year, and Kimi’s been amazing these last few races,” Leclerc said. “But Max and Red Bull are coming back like this? That’s a bit more surprising. The upgrades clearly worked, and you can’t forget how strong that team really is. You never expect them to just sit back and accept a slow start.”
He added, “We figured they’d come back swinging, but to see them right back on the front row after struggling at the start… that’s something else. It’s pretty remarkable. Still, my job’s the same: beat those guys. That’s where my head’s at right now.”
Leclerc had to settle for third on the grid for Sunday’s race. Ferrari looked strong early in qualifying, but their hopes faded by Q3.
He talked about the changing conditions, but didn’t think that’s what hurt Ferrari. “The wind definitely played a part, but track temperature wasn’t all that different, so I don’t think that’s the reason,” he said. “Maybe the track changed, and we didn’t see it coming, or maybe pushing harder today in qualifying just made our car’s weak spots stand out more.”
Leclerc admitted he hadn’t dug into the numbers yet; he’d just gotten out of the car. “We’ll have to check the details to figure out exactly where we lost time.”
