Horner Suggests McLaren Drivers’ Ambition Could Benefit Verstappen

Max Verstappen clinched his second victory in the 2025 Formula 1 season with a dominant display at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, marking a resurgence for Red Bull.

Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, remarked that the individual aspirations of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri might inadvertently aid Verstappen’s championship quest.

During the race, the McLaren MCL39, previously a frontrunner, encountered difficulties, prompting inquiries regarding their strategic decisions.

Lando Norris, equipped with fresher tires, requested that his teammate, Oscar Piastri, concede position. Norris subsequently overtook Piastri without explicit team directives, securing second place, while Piastri finished third.

Post-race, Horner elaborated on how Verstappen leveraged minimal tire degradation and the advantages from the Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car periods to outperform the McLaren duo.

Horner’s Analysis of McLaren’s Strategy

“Oscar pushed intensely early on, showing signs of graining on his front-right tire,” Horner told reporters.

“The team was evaluating a one-stop versus a two-stop strategy.

“Opting for the two-stop, the lengthy 27-second pitlane resulted in significant time loss.

“Consequently, Oscar encountered considerable traffic, posing a significant obstacle. Max maintained consistent performance, with remarkably low tire degradation,” Horner noted.

“Even with Lando pursuing in clean air, Max sustained a comfortable lead of nine-and-a-half seconds.

“The final Safety Car deployment saw both Max and Lando pit, yet Lando re-entered behind Oscar. With two McLaren drivers fiercely vying for the World Championship, a complex situation arose,” he concluded.