‘Too close for comfort’ as Verstappen pressure mounts on McLaren

McLaren’s relaxed title challenge has given way to rising tension, as Max Verstappen’s late-season surge piles pressure on the team to decide whether to let its drivers race freely or impose team orders.

The issue came to a head in Austin after both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri crashed out at Turn 1 of the sprint, handing Red Bull a psychological upper hand.

“They’re under pressure, of course,” Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko told Viaplay. “They can’t win the easy way anymore. We’ll keep pushing. We’re making them nervous, and that seems to be working.”

Former F1 driver and Sky Deutschland pundit Timo Glock agreed, saying: “These are all issues they have to deal with now. And Max Verstappen is only concerned with annoying them.”

Inside McLaren, comparisons are already being drawn with the team’s 2007 implosion, when Fernando Alonso and rookie Lewis Hamilton fought each other to the point of losing the title to Kimi Raikkonen.

“Repeat 2007? It’s a risk, yes,” said CEO Zak Brown. “But that’s how McLaren wants to race. We want two drivers capable of winning the championship. “If you split the drivers into number one and number two, it jeopardises your participation in the Constructors’.

"It’s a difficult balance, we’re racers, and we want to race. Giving both drivers a fair shot at the title comes with a risk, but we’re aware of it and prepared for it.”

Brown admitted Verstappen’s renewed form has complicated matters. “I think the situation we’re in now is that Max is too close for comfort,” he said. “We saw in the Netherlands how quickly things can change, so we’re focused on this weekend and will continue to evaluate things race by race.”

Team principal Andrea Stella preferred to keep the emphasis on performance. “We see that Verstappen and Red Bull currently have the best package,” he said. “It took a while for both our drivers to find rhythm in qualifying, but that’s not discouraging us. We know we can be strong in race conditions and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”

Marko, meanwhile, said Verstappen’s rejuvenated motivation is a key weapon in the title fight. “When we weren’t competitive, Max lost a bit of interest,” he admitted. “He was more into racing GT cars, and to keep him in a good mood I talked to him about the Nürburgring.

“But now that the car is working, and he’s had success there, his motivation already adds a couple of tenths. He’s smiling again, and that’s exactly what we need. It’s too early to talk about a title comeback, but this weekend looks promising.”