McLaren is giving its drivers free rein, a jackpot for Verstappen?

After the double disqualification in Las Vegas, McLaren finds himself in an uncomfortable situation two races from the finish. Certainly, it is enough to Lando Norris to score two more points thanOscar piastri et Max Verstappen to clinch his first world title, but the four-time defending champion is now a tangible threat, 24 points behind the Englishman.

With Norris having his first match point this weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix, one might expect the Woking-based team to decide to favor the driver of the car No. 4, in order to avoid the disaster and embarrassment of seeing this title slip away when it seemed a long-held possession. However, Andrea Stella does not share this opinion.

« No, there's no reason to do that. assures the team manager. We have always said that, as long as the calculations do not contradict this assertion, we will let the two drivers fight for the final victory, and the same will be true in Qatar. Let's not forget that if we had been told at the start of the season that we would find ourselves in this situation with two races to go, we would have signed up immediately! Now, we will fight for the world championship title with confidence and fully aware of our strengths. »

Verstappen: "I'd tell them to go to hell."

Level on points with Verstappen, Oscar Piastri confirmed that there had been discussions on the matter, but the Australian doesn't want to hear about these rules. Despite his poor form, which has seen him lose the championship lead to his teammate, the number 81 still believes in his chances of winning the world title.

« We discussed it briefly, and the answer is no. he summarizes. I'm still tied on points with Max, and I still have a good chance of winning if things go my way. Here's how we're going to play. "McLaren thus prefers to continue playing attack rather than defense, even if it means seeing the title slip away from them.

A formidable hunter, Max Verstappen can only be delighted with this situation. It's perfect "The outgoing champion rubbed his hands together.

The Dutchman then emphasized that it was the right decision. You can't make a better choice than to let them fight. Why should Oscar suddenly no longer have that right? If I were given such instructions, I'd tell them to get lost. As a pilot, you have to try. Otherwise, what's the point of showing up? »

Verstappen is not fooled; he knows that the internal rivalry at McLaren is one of the keys to securing a fifth consecutive title. Many things need to go my way, but they must be free to fight and with a bit of luck we can put up a great fight until the end. "It's a good thing Verstappen is doing everything he can to provoke."

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