McLaren boss Andrea Stella has warned the team not to become complacent, despite harbouring a comprehensive lead in both championships in Formula 1 in 2025.
The Woking-based squad has sustained a dream campaign to date as nine victories over the opening 12 races have seen it open up a commanding 238-point margin.
Along with being on course to retain the Constructors’ crown that the team secured in 2024, McLaren also appears destined to make it a title double on this occasion.
Oscar Piastri heads team-mate Lando Norris at the top, with the nearest non-McLaren driver – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – having dropped 69 points behind the Briton.
But with the competition poised to continue introducing updates in a bid to close down McLaren’s gap, Stella wants to ensure that there is no let-up in his team’s level.
The Italian highlighted the Canadian Grand Prix – where McLaren wasn’t in contention to win even prior to Norris and Piastri clashing – showed how things can change.
“The performance we saw in Canada, that as soon as you drop the ball, you don’t win anymore,” Stella said at a McLaren live event in London earlier this month.
“So winning is not given for granted, winning is something that you have to earn. You have to earn it in terms of preparation, you have to earn it on the ground.”
Asked how McLaren will approach the remaining rounds as it aims to close out both titles, Stella replied: “Well, the next strategy is to keep doing what we are doing.
“Which is not only in terms of trying to achieve the same results but also have the same determination we need to maximise the potential of what’s available.
“The mission for the second part of the season is to go try and do our best to try to maximise our potential and keep winning races, keep giving our fans plenty of emotions.”
Norris denies McLaren momentum is with him
Norris, who slashed Piastri’s advantage to eight points with back-to-back victories in Austria and Britain, has quashed the notion that the momentum is back with him.
“Look, you can always class it as momentum or whatever, but I don’t think that,” the now eight-time F1 race winner asserted.
“I think it’s still just one race at a time. Obviously, I had a good race last weekend and we had a good battle, and we got close, and I was looking forward to another good battle.
“But it’s two wins; they’ve not come easy by any means.
“We’ve had good fights, but they’re pretty strenuous, exhausting weekends because you’re fighting for hundredths and thousandths, and you’re fighting for perfection every session and I’m against some pretty good drivers. So, it takes a lot out of you, especially when you have a race like today.
“So, I’ve had two good weekends and, of course, I would love to continue that momentum, but it still requires more consistency. Two weekends doesn’t mean anything otherwise. And I just need to keep it up and keep working hard.”
READ MORE – Why McLaren now views Canada F1 clash as a ‘nice moment’
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