BREAKING : Max Verstappen Highlights McLaren’s Championship Weakness… Read more
Max Verstappen Highlights McLaren’s Championship Weakness
The Italian Grand Prix has exposed what many believe to be McLaren’s biggest problem heading into the final stretch of the 2025 Formula 1 season – their drivers. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are talented, quick, and consistent, but they might be too nice to truly dominate. And, crucially, neither of them is Max Verstappen.
If Verstappen’s RB21 had been a touch more competitive this season, the four-time world champion could well be leading the championship already. Instead, with three victories to his name, he sits 94 points behind leader Piastri with eight races remaining. That deficit is significant, but far from impossible to overturn. Writing him off at this stage would be premature.
The spotlight in Monza inevitably fell on McLaren’s pit strategy, particularly their choice to bring Piastri in for his stop before Norris. At the time, Norris was the leading McLaren on track, yet the team prioritized protecting Piastri from Charles Leclerc. This opened the door to an undercut that compromised Norris, leaving him vulnerable.
The real issue, however, was how the drivers handled the situation. Both Norris and Piastri are desperate to claim their first world championship this season, and going into Italy there was just a 34-point difference between them. Yet Norris did not assert himself when it mattered most. As the lead car, he could have pushed harder to demand priority in the pits. A more ruthless driver would have fought for that right without hesitation.
When McLaren’s slow pit stop further complicated matters, Piastri found himself in front of his teammate. At that point, the championship leader had the perfect chance to cement his advantage. But instead of digging in and defending his position over team radio, he let Norris back through with little resistance.
While mistakes in the pits are part of racing, the lack of fight from Piastri was telling. Champions like Lewis Hamilton or Verstappen would never have rolled over in that moment. Verstappen himself even mocked McLaren’s indecisiveness when informed of the swap over the radio.
For Piastri, every point is crucial, especially with a rival of Verstappen’s caliber lurking in the background. His willingness to play the “team game” may ultimately cost him the title – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given McLaren’s current dominance.
The reality is that McLaren are set to seal the constructors’ championship comfortably, possibly as early as round 17 of 24. That guarantees one of their drivers will be crowned world champion this year. But whether it’s Piastri or Norris, neither has yet shown the killer instinct of F1’s greats.
Looking further ahead, that lack of sharpness could be exposed even more in 2026. With Mercedes and Ferrari expected to mount stronger challenges under the next set of regulations, Verstappen, George Russell, Leclerc, and even rising star Isack Hadjar may all pose serious threats. On pure driving talent, they appear a cut above.
This season’s best driver is unlikely to end the year as champion. Verstappen’s performances, relative to his machinery, have been nothing short of outstanding. By contrast, Norris and Piastri’s polite rivalry risks undermining their credibility as true title fighters.
Unless one of them finds that ruthless edge soon, history may remember 2025 as the year McLaren had the best car but failed to produce a champion worthy of its dominance.
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