McLaren admits Max Verstappen is a MAJOR stumbling block in closing the gap to Red Bull

The McLaren F1 team has shown significant improvement during the 2023 F1 season.

McLaren admits Max Verstappen is a MAJOR stumbling block in closing the gap to Red Bull

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (Credits: Imago)

The McLaren F1 team has been on a tremendous rise since the last few races of the 2023 F1 season. Their strong P2 and P3 outing at last weekend’s race at the Suzuka International Race Course was a testament to that. But despite this fact, Lando Norris and Co. have not been able to close the gap to Red Bull. They genuinely believe Max Verstappen is making all the difference for the Austrian team.

Max Verstappen has been on a sensational run of form during the ongoing campaign. He has already amassed a brilliant 13 Grand Prix wins with 15 podium finishes. Similarly, the Dutch driver won the Japanese Grand Prix by a handsome margin over the two McLaren drivers. So, the Woking-based team feels that Verstappen is not letting their duo get anywhere close to Red Bull.

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While shedding light on the same, McLaren’s Team Principal, Andrea Stella told Motorsport, “But in all honesty, Max seems to be that big step. There are several more circuits coming up this year, but none of them have Singapore characteristics. Although there still seem to be tracks where we can be competitive, such as Qatar. But, I’m afraid that the circuits we like are also a good fit for Red Bull.”

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He added, “Realistically, something has to be done to take that final step.” It is quite clear that McLaren is finding it tough to cope with Max Verstappen’s racecraft in the RB19. Moreover, Stella also admits that his team will have it difficult in the remaining races of the ongoing campaign.

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McLaren does not want to fall backward in the remaining 2023 F1 races

While Andrea Stella has acknowledged the might of Max Verstappen behind the wheel of the RB19, he has also pointed to the downfall of Aston Martin during the ongoing second leg of the campaign. He is determined to make sure that his team does not suffer the same fate in the remaining races and said, “We try to be as rigorous as possible in terms of development.”

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McLaren (Credits: Autosport)

“We want to make sure that we don’t skip any steps and end up in a situation where we have to say we have to develop even faster.” Only six races are remaining in the 2023 F1 season and it is a common belief that McLaren is targeting the fourth position in the Constructors Championship. As things stand, they are behind Fernando Alonso‘s team by a margin of 49 points.

Considering the small gap, the number of events remaining, and the form McLaren has been in recently, their target is very much achievable. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have done a brilliant job so far.

Behind the wheel of the MCL60, the Brit and the Aussie drivers will be supported by their team to bring home solid points in the remaining events. Eventually securing that fourth position in the standing that they have been eyeing for so long.

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