McLaren hint Lando Norris’ “repercussions” scrapped to focus on Max Verstappen threat
“Our mission is to stop this momentum and bring back the momentum to the papaya side.”
McLaren have suggested they ditched Lando Norris’ “repercussions” due to the increased threat posed by Max Verstappen.
With five rounds to go in 2025, there are just 40 points between Oscar Piastri, Norris and Verstappen in the drivers’ championship.
The momentum is with the Red Bull driver after winning three of the last four races.
Piastri’s form has dipped in recent rounds, struggling to fifth at the United States Grand Prix.
Norris’ aggressive Lap 1 move on Piastri resulted in some form of punishment for the British driver.
However, ahead of this weekend in Mexico City, Piastri confirmed that Norris’ “repercussions” had been scrapped.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella has hinted that Verstappen’s form forced the team to start with a “clean slate” for both drivers.
“As usual, we review things, team, drivers, in a very open way, in a very constructive way,” Stella told reporters in Mexico.
“We thought the best approach moving forward was to start with a clean slate and focus in the only direction on which we want to focus: to make sure that the championship is papaya.
“All the rest is less important and there’s somebody that is coming with great momentum.
“Our mission is to stop this momentum and bring back the momentum to the papaya side.”
McLaren won’t match Red Bull’s upgrades
Red Bull have continued to introduce upgrades to the RB21.
For this weekend, the team has made tweaks to the floor body and edge wing.
McLaren turned off car development for their MCL39 car earlier this year — a decision Stella has defended.
“The 2026 project would be heavily compromised,” Stella said when asked whether McLaren could have matched Red Bull for upgrades.
“We want to win championships in the future. To win championships in the future you need to have a competitive car. I think we have been very considerate in the timing of switching our full resources to 2026.
“We also have to make a technical point here. Our car from an aerodynamic point of view was already quite mature, and to add one point of aerodynamic efficiency — like we have added more than one point when we upgraded our car around Austria, Canada and so on — would take weeks for us because we were at a plateau in our aerodynamic development.
“With the 2026 car, every week we add a lot of downforce. So that’s where, with the best information you have available, you have to make a call. We also don’t have to forget that by being the champions we are the most restricted by the regulations in terms of the wind tunnel allowance and the CFD allowance.
“We were so much in the diminishing returns we needed to be realistic and shift our attention to 2026.”
In this article
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
Joining Crash.net in 2021 as an Editor for the Indonesian Edition, Derry oversees most of the Indonesian articles on the site.
Rachit joined the Crash.net team in 2025 with a primary focus on F1 and sportscar racing.
He previously served as a news editor at Motorsport.com, where he played a key role in the day-to-day editorial operations.
