McLaren chief admits F1 line-up ‘faster’ than Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella concedes that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are a ‘faster’ package than his Papaya team have with either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri.

The Woking team often emerged as Red Bull’s closest rival toward the end of 2023 as Norris and Piastri flourished. But Verstappen was nearly always a step or two too far in front of the McLaren drivers. He only finished one Grand Prix behind the pair in Singapore in September.

Verstappen produced the most dominant season in Formula 1 history with 19 wins from 22 Grand Prix. He also only finished off the podium at the Singapore GP when Carlos Sainz held off Norris to win. The Marina Bay round interrupted Verstappen’s run of 18 wins in 19 races.

Max Verstappen finished one Grand Prix behind a McLaren in 2023

Norris also threatened to rival Verstappen for a race win at the British GP and the Sao Paolo GP. But the 24-year-old’s hopes of holding onto the 26-year-old did not materialise over the races. Norris has also stated he knew he could not fight Verstappen at the United States GP.

Even in the Sprint events, Verstappen mainly emerged on top in 2023 with four wins. Sergio Perez held off Charles Leclerc and his Red Bull teammate to win the Sprint at the Azerbaijan GP. While Piastri edged Verstappen by only 1.871 seconds to win the Sprint at the Qatar GP.

The Qatar GP Sprint was McLaren’s only win of any kind in 2023. Second place was also the best that Norris (British GP, Dutch GP, United States GP) and Piastri (Japanese GP) achieved in qualifying for the 22 Grand Prix. Piastri got Sprint Shootout pole before winning in Qatar.

Andrea Stella praises the ‘outstanding’ Max Verstappen and Red Bull

McLaren chief Stella also admits that Verstappen and Red Bull are ‘faster than us’ together with either Norris or Piastri. The three-time F1 drivers’ champion and Milton Keynes outfit combine for a lethal package. But they were also reliant on each other to dominate in 2023.

“Even an outstanding driver like Verstappen is right now can only do what the car allows him to do,” Stella told Auto Motor und Sport. “We have to say to ourselves: ‘The combination of Verstappen and Red Bull is faster than us. We have to beat them’.

“Red Bull is good enough to make these results possible. What we saw in most cases with Lando and, at times, with Oscar was extraordinary – especially in qualification. But it is impossible that our car, no matter which driver was in the cockpit, would have been as fast as Red Bull in the second part of the stints. The Red Bull treated the tires better.

“You can separate the car from the driver. Where Verstappen makes the difference is that he can always deliver this extremely high standard. Even under the most difficult circumstances – in the rain in Zandvoort or when the conditions changed in Q3 in Brazil – Verstappen shows what this Red Bull can do when moved with perfection.”