29/10/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | OCT 29, 2025

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McLaren boss confident in title chase Norris leads Piastri by one point after Mexico, Stella optimistic in McLaren’s car performance for final races M CLAREN boss Andrea Stella says Formula One title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri high grip – and found far more pace than in practice and qualifying. He might have grabbed fourth from Haas’s Oliver Bearman, but for a late virtual safety car. in condition to extract the full performance that is available in the car.”

Three takeaways from MexicoGP

Norris shows champion qualities

BY taking both a dominant pole position and then a flawless victory by 30 seconds, Norris stamped his authority on this weekend and boosted his prospects of claiming the title even if his supremacy was hailed with unexpected boos after the race. The Briton’s reaction, calm and good-humoured, added to his new gloss as a champion in waiting. “That’s sport sometimes,” he said with a half-smile and a shrug. “I don’t know why. I was kind of laughing. I think it made it more entertaining for me. “I’d prefer it if people cheered for me, but I just concentrate on doing my own thing.” His self-effacing style, previously seen as a weakness, has become a strength as it insulates him against the pressure as he seeks to beat Piastri and the looming figure of Red Bull’s four-time champion Max Verstappen. Since the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, where he retired with an oil leak and Piastri won, Norris has finished ahead of him everywhere to claw back 35 points and the championship lead for the first time in six months. Opening laps thrills and dangers WHILE the spectacle of Sunday’s race, notably in the opening and closing laps, was dramatic and exciting, it was also dangerous and unfair. The four-abreast charge into the opening corner at the end of an 830 metre straight produced thrills, wheel-banging and two cars leaving the track and gaining positions that they seemingly handed back. More clashes followed including some a long and late lunge on seven time champion Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari by Max Verstappen that, in effect, ended the Briton’s podium hopes as he was given a 10-second penalty for rejoining incorrectly. “It was pretty nuts,” said Hamilton. “I was the only one given a penalty … ” He did not name them, but Leclerc and Verstappen could have been penalised too. Mercedes’ George Russell also lost out in the first corner melee. “I don’t understand how three drivers can cut the first corner and then re-enter where they continued… It allows you to risk everything and have a get out of jail card if you get it wrong. I lost three positions, so I was pretty frustrated.” More seriously, on a day when questions were asked about the stewarding, decisions and crowd behaviour, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson revealed that he narrowly avoided a fatal accident when two marshals ran across the circuit on lap three. Verstappen needs more speed AFTER a blistering run of three wins in five races, Verstappen showed tenacity and his once-familiar aggression to claim third place, but admitted he needed more speed from his car to maintain any real hopes of a fifth title. “We struggled for pace and, in hindsight, with the tyres… But at least we had the perfect strategy… It’s fine to think differently, but we need to be faster,” the Dutchman said. AFP

“This is the most important factor to put Lando and Oscar in condition to pursue the drivers’ championship. “I don’t think it’s about mathematics, it’s about competitiveness. And it was important to confirm this competitiveness.” McLaren have ruled out giving Piastri a new chassis, something drivers often ask for when going through an inexplicable drop in performance. “Every evidence, every piece of data, every indirect measurement or information we have tells us that there is no problem with the car,” he told reporters after Saturday qualifying. “In reality, there’s a rotation of parts. So it’s not like there’s always the same parts on the car. So we have reasons to be reassured that there’s no problem with the car.” – Reuters

Stella pointed out that Las Vegas had been difficult for McLaren last season but this year could be different, with the tyres graining less. Norris’s win was his first since Hungary in August and McLaren’s first since the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of that month – ending a run of four races without a win for the champions. Stella said Mexico had been a confidence boost for McLaren, even if Red Bull’s resurgent four times champion Max Verstappen, third on Sunday, cut his gap to the top from 40 points to 36. “We have proven that we have a car that can win races and in some conditions can dominate races,” he added.

can both feel confident going into the last four races, with neither likely to have a track advantage. Norris took over at the top by a point from his Australian teammate in Mexico on Sunday but Stella told reporters there was everything to play for in Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. There are also two sprints to come in Sao Paulo and Doha. “I think both Lando and Oscar go into the final four

“For Lando and Oscar, there’s no problem in terms of track layout coming in the next four races,” Stella said. “If anything, we need to make sure that from a McLaren point of view we are

races with reasons to be confident,” said the Italian. “The team also go into the final four races with more understanding of how to extract performance

from the car consistently, because over the last four races before Mexico at times we have left some performance in the garage. “In the final four races, there’s no reason to think that one (track) may favour one driver or the other.” Piastri has been beaten by Norris in the last five races and the Briton’s dominant victory from pole position in Mexico City on Sunday wiped out the 24-year-old’s 14 point advantage. Norris has said he does not believe in momentum, however, and Piastri sounded more optimistic about his situation after racing from seventh on the grid to fifth at the chequered flag on Sunday. He said he had adapted his driving style to Mexico’s low- grip circuit – conditions Norris thrives on whereas Piastri prefers

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. – REUTERSPIC

Russell open to Verstappen joining Merc Ű BY LAWRENCE OSTLERE

Notices

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one-two. Lewis and Nico (Rosberg), one-two. Obviously Lewis and Fernando (Alonso) is a notable exception. But Lewis should have won that year (2007). “So yeah, Max is an incredible driver. There’s no denying that. But that’s why I would relish going up against him. We all believe we’re the best.” Russell also moved to clarify the state of his new contract, explaining the “multi-year” clause was conditional on performances and that he is only secured at Mercedes for one more year. “It is something I haven’t actually said publicly. “But the deal is, if I’m performing (in 2026), we have a specific clause that if I reach (a certain target), we will automatically renew for 2027. “So my seat for 2027 is in my hands. If I didn’t perform, and I don’t want to go into details, but if I perform, then 100 per cent I’ll be staying.” – The Independent

with the team alongside the talented young Italian Kimi Antonelli. Russell’s relationship with Verstappen is strained after clashes on the track and in the media, with Verstappen labelling the Briton “two faced” after the Qatar Grand Prix earlier this season, to which Russell responded by calling his rival a “bully”. But Russell insists the pair could work together on the same team if Mercedes were to ever secure Verstappen’s signature. “We don’t really speak but we don’t ignore each other,” Russell said of their relationship in the paddock, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph . “I don’t lose sleep over it. And for sure he doesn’t lose sleep over it. “So it doesn’t bother me one single bit. “Life is short. We’re all adults. We all learn from these experiences. You don’t need to be best mates as teammates. Senna and Prost weren’t good friends and they still finished

GEORGE RUSSELL is open to having Max Verstappen as a future teammate at Mercedes, saying: “You don’t need to be best mates as teammates.” Verstappen has been linked with a move away from Red Bull over recent months after enduring a frustration season in the shadow of McLaren’s dominance. The four-time world champion has dragged himself back into title contention but trails championship leader Lando Norris by 36 points going into the final four races of the season. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff recently admitted that his attempts to poach Verstappen from Red Bull had “destabilised” his team after photos emerged over the summer of the pair socialising on his yacht. Russell’s own future had been in doubt after months of contract talks with Mercedes, but he eventually signed a new deal last month to stay