The upcoming Brazilian GP will add another chapter to what has become a multi-dimensional Championship battle between Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
Norris enters this weekend with momentum on his side, having overturned a 34-point deficit to Piastri. The Australian is now one point behind in the title race and under immense pressure to reverse his downward trajectory.
Critically for McLaren, Norris’ commanding victory in Mexico has dampened some of Red Bull’s resurgence.
However, from team principal Andrea Stella’s view, it cannot be assumed that MCL39 will have the best car at Interlagos.
Andrea Stella reveals McLaren approach for Brazilian GP
It was roughly twelve months ago that Verstappen took a decisive victory in Brazil that virtually ended Norris’ title hopes. The wet conditions at Interlagos created the unpredictable and nightmarish conditions that the Dutchman thrives on.
Of course, the situation is slightly different this season. Norris and Verstappen are joined by Piastri in the title race, with only 36 points separating the three contenders.
There are many uncertainties about how Red Bull and McLaren will perform, with the development race tightening in recent months.
Laurent Mekies’ team has made clear progress with the RB21, thanks to incremental upgrades and more effective set-up optimisation.
In the meantime, McLaren have slowly lost their advantage. Even with Norris’ Mexico victory, the assumption for this weekend is that Red Bull and Verstappen will be closer to contention.
This is why Andrea Stella insists nothing can be taken for granted in Brazil:
“In Mexico City, the MCL39 was the fastest car, but we must not assume it will be the same in São Paulo, as the competition around us is very tight.
“We’ll stick to our mindset of taking it race by race and extracting as much performance as possible to give our drivers the chance to fight for top positions.
“This is also a Sprint weekend, which gives us more opportunities to score points. At the same time, we’ll need even greater attention to detail to find the right car set-up, especially given the limited amount of Free Practice running.”
Sprint Race could make all the difference
The US GP was a reminder of how transformative Sprint Race weekends can be in the Championship fight. After claiming victory in both the Sprint and Grand Prix (with the McLaren’s crashing out in the Sunday dash) Verstappen gained 25 points on Piastri in one weekend.
Whilst a double-McLaren DNF in Brazil is obviously unlikely, this weekend’s Sprint Race element cannot be overlooked.
It gives all three title contenders a chance to set the tone for the weekend and gain valuable points. In the context of recent events, Oscar Piastri will be particularly eager to stabilise his campaign with a strong points haul on Saturday.
For McLaren more broadly, it is imperative they optimise their set-up and execute a clean weekend. Their success in this area will define their chances of safeguarding against Verstappen’s late title charge.
Main photo: Simon Galloway/LAT Images (McLaren media gallery)
