Stella clear after question about Verstappen: 'We did not need that
10:35, 12 Apr 2025
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A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
Max Verstappen has dealt McLaren a blow last week by finishing first in both qualifying and the race in Japan. But has the Dutchman truly shaken up the British team with his performances? McLaren's team principal, Andrea Stella, answered that question in Bahrain.
Stella: 'McLaren did not need a wake-up call from Verstappen'
Stella was firm: “we didn’t need any wake-up call because we were not sleeping, and certainly we were not dreaming. We were wide awake, knowing that if we don’t capitalise on the full performance of the car, then we will be beaten.
"And if we capitalise, we may win by a very small margin. So for us, this is what we talk about in the team. These are the conversations that happen within the team. All the rest, for me, seems to be a bit built up externally, but it doesn’t represent what is in the numbers, in our view.”
If we are to believe the Red Bull Racing camp, McLaren does not have to fear miracles from the Austrian team this weekend. Christian Horner even stated that it was impossible for Max Verstappen to repeat the feat of Japan.
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