McLaren confident they can challenge Verstappen’s dominance
“We are very excited by the idea that we could be the ones attempting to stop Verstappen’s dominance,” says Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal.
The mood at McLaren is riding high as they position themselves as serious contenders in the Drivers’ Championship battle against Max Verstappen.
Stella didn’t hold back when speaking at the team principals’ press conference in Brazil. “The mood is certainly very positive. We are very excited to be in this strong position in the Drivers’ Championship. We have, I think, what is needed. We have all the conditions: a fast car, two fast drivers, a team that’s prepared and determined.”
It’s not often we see a team openly relishing the chance to dethrone a dominant champion.
The Italian team boss admitted the championship fight will likely go down to the wire.
“We’re talking about the champion of the last four races, so for us, we just feel a sense of privilege to be in this position, and we’ll definitely keep the fight going until the last corner in Abu Dhabi.”
## Brundle concerned about Verstappen’s chances
Verstappen struggled during opening practice, failing to complete a clean lap and abandoning his only soft-tire attempt before heading back to the pits.
The situation looks worrying for the four-time world champion.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri dominated the session from start to finish. They were the only drivers to break the 1:10 barrier, with Norris beating his teammate by a tiny margin of just 0.023 seconds.
This sets up what could be a thrilling battle for pole in the sprint qualifying.
Brundle noted that Piastri seems to have found his groove again, looking much sharper than in previous races. Verstappen, on the other hand, will need to dig deep if he wants to gain the upper hand this weekend.
Can McLaren actually pull off the upset and end Verstappen’s incredible run? The next few races will tell us everything.
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