Stella expects final race to be fair and sportsmanlike

McLaren Team Principal Confident in Fair Play Ahead of Abu Dhabi Title Decider

YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi — As the Formula 1 season comes to a close, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is optimistic that the title decider in Abu Dhabi will be decided “within the boundaries of sportsmanship and fairness.” With Lando Norris leading the standings by 12 points ahead of Max Verstappen, the stage is set for an intense battle for the championship. Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, is also in contention, sitting 16 points behind the leader.

Verstappen, who will start on pole position, needs Norris to finish fourth or lower to secure his fifth championship. However, Stella is not concerned about the tactics that Verstappen may employ to gain an advantage. “In terms of the options that Max has available to try and play his cards, honestly I’m not too worried,” Stella said. “I think we will see some interesting racing, but I’m sure all this will happen within the boundaries of sportsmanship and fairness.”

Strategy and Tyre Degradation

One strategy that Verstappen could use is to back the McLarens into the chasing pack, similar to what Lewis Hamilton did to Nico Rosberg at the same circuit in 2016. However, Stella believes that this tactic may not be effective on the current layout of the Yas Marina Circuit. “In terms of how the race will unfold, there may be reasons to control the pace even from a tyre point of view, not necessarily because of some strategic reason for the lead car,” he explained.

The tyre degradation is expected to play a significant role in the race, with Stella suggesting that it could lead to a one or two-stop strategy. “So definitely we will see some pace control and it will be interesting to see whether the tyre degradation means that the race will be more on a one or a two-stop, I think this is a bit of an open question,” he said.

McLaren’s Approach

Stella is expecting Norris to approach the first lap with caution, given his position in the championship. “I think from Lando’s point of view — considering the inside of corner one in Abu Dhabi — I think he will just be relatively prudent,” Stella said. “It’s one of those where from the inside you will not necessarily get the better exit and the car on the outside can close, so I think there will be some prudency, which is I think what I would recommend, certainly to Lando.”

Having two drivers close together at the front of the pack is seen as an advantage by Stella, even if Verstappen tries to back one of them into the other. “We have more options to play,” he said. “At some stage, if you slow down too much, you may be susceptible to being attacked with undercuts, you may expose yourself in terms of being overtaken, so I think definitely it’s good that we are there with two cars.”