Andrea Stella: McLaren face uphill battle to challenge Red Bull's Formula 1 dominance

Over the course of the F1 season, McLaren have undergone significant transformations through two substantial upgrade packages, elevating them from early-season underdogs to the second-fastest team on the grid, trailing only Red Bull Racing as the championship approaches its closing chapter.

Their recent achievements, including double podium finishes in Japan and Qatar, with the added delight of Oscar Piastri's maiden "win" in the Lusail Sprint, have propelled McLaren into the spotlight. Currently sitting 11 points adrift of Aston Martin and a substantial 79 points behind Ferrari, they have emerged as the closest contenders to Red Bull Racing and their star driver, Max Verstappen.

However, despite their commendable progress, Stella remains realistic about the substantial performance gap that still separates them from Red Bull Racing. He firmly believes that under typical race conditions, McLaren are not yet fully prepared to challenge the Verstappen-Red Bull combination.

Stella pointed out, "The fact that [Lando] has been second four times actually doesn't change very much. Every event is a new event, so you have to do the whole job, you don't accrue any credit, but the results show that we have improved and are now close [fighting for consistent podiums].

"But if you see the performance step that is required, for instance in Japan to be P1, it is huge, more than half-a-second in qualifying. We don't even know how much in the race it was because Verstappen didn't need to push, so we are very conscious that there is a lot of work to do ahead, but being P2 occasionally is a good position to be in, but we need to make the final step."

Acknowledging their areas for improvement, Stella added, "We know we have work to do on tracks that have low-speed corners, bumps, and are very demanding on traction, to become the second-best team at all tracks."

In the midst of the fierce competition in Formula 1, Stella's focus remains on the present. "Myself, and all the team, we are focused on keeping improving the car, getting the most out of it every weekend, be reliable, operate track-side as well as we can do, and then we will see where we are after Abu Dhabi in the final classification."

As the Formula 1 calendar unfolds, all eyes are now on the upcoming United States Grand Prix, set to take place on October 22 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The event promises an exciting spectacle as Formula 1's popularity continues to soar in the United States.