Stella: McLarens will be split by fine margins in F1 title race

Oscar Piastri won the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, with Lando Norris finishing just over three seconds behind him as McLaren recorded their sixth one-two of the season.

Piastri secured his eighth victory in F1, and his sixth in 2025, becoming the first Australian driver to reach that figure in a single year.

Overall in 2025, McLaren have 10 race wins between the drivers (four for Norris), their most since 2005 (also 10). Only twice before have they surpassed that tally (12 in 1984 and 15 in 1988).

McLaren look set to win the constructors' championship for a second year running, having amassed 516 points after the 13th race, holding a 268-point lead over Ferrari, but the drivers' standings are much closer.

Piastri is 16 points ahead of Norris, with Max Verstappen 65 points behind the Brit in third, and Stella noted there is little between the drivers just past the halfway stage.

"There is very, very little between our two drivers, and this is because the two drivers are racing at a very, very high level," Stella said.

"I think the difference will be made by the accuracy, the precision, the quality of the execution."

The standings after the #BelgianGP #McLaren pic.twitter.com/7kY37aknOO

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 28, 2025

Wet conditions played their part at Spa over the weekend, with Norris unable to hold onto pole after a rolling start.

Piastri had a similar problem during Saturday's sprint race, when Verstappen won from second on the grid after grabbing the lead on the first lap.

Stella acknowledged there were problems that must be addressed, with the team planning to let their drivers battle for the crown.

"We saw in Silverstone that an issue, a sporting issue for Oscar, during the safety car restart and the consequent penalty cost him the race," said Stella.

"Here we saw that again, somehow related to the circuit characteristics.

"It would have always been very difficult for Lando to keep the position starting first at the safety car restart, but at the same time, I think Lando didn't help himself by not having a great gap.