McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes it will be difficult for Max Verstappen to maintain his F1 title challenge without Red Bull improving the car.
Verstappen reduced Lando Norris’ lead at the top of the F1 driver’s ranking to just one point after his victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The four-time F1 World Champion delivered the masterclass to halt McLaren’s victory.
McLaren was under scrutiny for being too conservative while both drivers were below performance in qualifying.
Even if Verstappen wins Suzuki, McLaren is still a huge favorite of both titles.
After a race in Japan on Sunday, Stella admitted that Verstappen “makes a difference for herself.”
However, Stella pointed out that if Red Bull doesn’t improve, it’s “very difficult” for Verstappen to stay in the title fight for the entire season.
“I think the most important condition for pursuing both championships is having the best cars,” Stella said in a quote from Motorsport Week.
“So, this somehow relates to what I said before it was important to continue racing in a robust way when there is no condition to win.
“Okay, if you can’t win, if you continue to perform like this, I think this is rewarding, like a podium and a long-term finish.
“At this point, I think Max somehow makes a difference for himself, but without the best cars it’s very difficult to keep up with 24 events in the season.”
Stella is still wary of Mercedes and Ferrari
Stella has refused to rule out Mercedes or Ferraris for the rest of the season.
Ferrari dominated the weekend’s sprint in China, with Lewis Hamilton winning from pole position.
George Russell began the year with a back-to-back podium finish for Mercedes.
“We’ll deal with Max and Red Bull like Russell,” he added. “How can I discount Leclerc-Hamilton?
“We certainly handle all of this within the full season spectrum, as Ferrari obviously struggles a bit, at least until it’s a little more stable.
“At this point, I think we’re still in circuit fluctuations. Hamilton has a sprint in China. Russell is competitive in China’s races. Here we have Red Bull and Max.
“I think we’re still in a temporary stage. We have to see how things calm down.”