McLaren‘s Title Fight Risks 2007 Repeat, Warns F1 Expert
With four races remaining, the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship is poised for a dramatic finish, but a potential internal struggle at McLaren could open the door for a surprising champion, echoing the team’s tumultuous 2007 season. Lando Norris currently leads the standings by a single point over teammate Oscar piastri,while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen trails Norris by 36 points.
Former formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson believes Verstappen remains a viable contender, and that McLaren’s commitment to equal treatment of its drivers could ultimately be their undoing. Speaking to Sky, Davidson stated, “I firmly believe that McLaren has been very careful, almost too careful, about doing the right thing between its two drivers this year.”
Davidson highlighted the team’s reluctance to favor either driver, adding, “In the last few races, I couldn’t imagine that they would end up favoring one driver over the other. […] I can’t imagine them changing their tactics now as they have insisted so much on fairness all season.”
This approach, he argues, mirrors the dynamic between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton during their contentious 2007 season as McLaren teammates. That year, the pair battled fiercely for the championship, ultimately allowing Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen to capitalize and secure the title.
“I think at this point you just have to let them ride,similar to the rivalry between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton when they were teammates at McLaren,” Davidson explained. He suggests McLaren’s unwillingness to definitively back a single driver “could ultimately even work to Verstappen’s advantage in the last race.”
Eighteen years after Räikkönen’s unexpected championship win, Davidson believes a similar scenario could unfold, with Verstappen poised to benefit from a divided mclaren focus.
