“Andrea Stella assessed the threat in the fight for the title from the Dutchman”, — write: sport.ua
Verstappen starts from pole at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastre. The Dutchman needs a podium for the championship, but any top-3 finish by Norris guarantees the title to the Briton.
There is speculation in the paddock that Verstappen may be deliberately holding back the McLaren cars, as Lewis Hamilton did in 2016 against team-mate Nico Rosberg. However, after the reconstruction of the track in Abu Dhabi, it is much more difficult to do this.
The head of the team, Andrea Stella, noted that in the event of such actions, Verstappen risks losing position due to an undercut.
“We have a tactical advantage – two cars against one. If someone slows down too much, they run the risk of being undercut or out of position altogether. That’s why it’s good that we are close to two cars,” said Stella.
He also outlined expectations from the start of the race, where Norris will start with a disadvantageous inside trajectory in the first turn:
“You don’t always get the best exit here from the inside in the first turn. I think Lando will proceed with caution. But in general, he is in a very strong position.”
In conclusion, Stella emphasized that he does not expect unsportsmanlike actions from the current champion:
“I’m not too worried about the possible ‘games’. I think we will see an interesting fight within the boundaries of honest and fair rivalry.”
