Former racing driver Hans-Joachim Stuck likes the open title fight at McLaren, but he sees Max Verstappen coming out on top in the Formula 1 finale in Abu Dhabi – for good reasons.
Former Formula 1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck praises McLaren for the equal opportunities the team has given its two drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, in the 2025 world championship title fight. “I think very highly of McLaren for that,” Stuck said in an interview with Eurosport ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
“The team could have decided on a driver much earlier and secured the title. But they chose not to do so. In the interests of Formula 1, they left the title race open. They shouldn’t be criticized too harshly for that,” said Stuck. He added: “I can’t remember a team-internal world championship race ever being so fair.”
But will it remain fair until the end? Stuck does not rule out the possibility of tension between the drivers at McLaren – and believes the team is capable of taking drastic measures if necessary: “If Norris and Piastri get into a fight, anything can happen. Contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. A team can kick any driver out as soon as they no longer fit in.”
For now, however, McLaren wants to stick to its fair play policy – and, according to Zak Brown, will only resort to team orders if one driver has no chance of winning.
Why Stuck is betting on Verstappen
But perhaps there will soon be trouble at McLaren if things turn out as Stuck predicts in Abu Dhabi. The former president of the German Motor Sport Federation (DMSB) firmly believes in McLaren’s rival Max Verstappen: “Under normal circumstances, he’ll take home the title.”
Stuck explains his reasoning as follows: “Of the three candidates, he is the most relaxed going into the final. If he wins, everyone will pay homage to him. But defeat is no problem either, because a few months ago, no one had him on their radar. With his experience and composure, Max now has the best cards in his hand.”
If Verstappen does end up celebrating the world championship title, it would be like a knighthood for Stuck. Verstappen would then be “without a doubt the best driver we have ever seen in Formula 1,” said Stuck. He goes even further: “He would surpass legends such as Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and Alain Prost. No one has ever achieved such a feat.”
