Headline: Albon says McLaren could “easily” shut Verstappen down — if they’d pick a side
Alex Albon doesn’t often wade into title politics. But asked where McLaren stand in a three-way tussle with Max Verstappen, the Williams driver gave the sort of blunt answer team bosses hate hearing.
“They’re still playing both drivers into the championship, but at the same time, you could easily cover him off if you prioritise one driver,” Albon told media in Mexico. “What they’re doing is fair, and they shouldn’t do that… so it is going to come down to the wire.”
That’s the crux of McLaren’s 2025 season: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both in the hunt, and Woking has stuck religiously to its “Papaya Rules” — no team orders, equal strategy windows, no mid-race switcheroos purely for the title narrative. Admirable? Absolutely. Risky when the guy hunting you is Verstappen? You bet.
The facts are uncomfortable for anyone in orange. Verstappen has trimmed the gap to 40 points and, as Albon nods, Red Bull’s upgrades since Monza have hit their marks. “It seems like they’ve got good momentum right now… You can never count Max out,” he said, stating what the paddock already knows: when Red Bull uncorks a development step and Verstappen smells blood, the margins evaporate.
McLaren’s stance hasn’t shifted. They’ve been clear all year that Norris and Piastri will race on merit, and there’s real pride inside the team about that. It’s also created an awkward strategic chessboard. When both drivers are live for the championship, you split tyre choices, you cover different undercut windows, you keep both sides of the garage happy. But you also leave Verstappen fewer headaches. Pick a spearhead and you can pin his race. Keep it level and you play a broader, slower game — one that’s vulnerable to a singular force like Max.
This isn’t theoretical. We’ve watched Norris and Piastri end up on diverging strategies multiple Sundays, more to maximise McLaren’s total points than to bend the entire race around a title-leading car. The intent is noble. The execution sometimes gifts Verstappen exactly the clear air he thrives on.
Albon, to his credit, didn’t bang the drum for team orders. He actually praised McLaren for giving both drivers a fair shot. But the subtext is clear: if they really want to nail Verstappen down, the easy button exists — and they refuse to press it.
Outside the title fight, Albon’s own weekend in Mexico carried a familiar Williams theme: cautious optimism tempered by the spreadsheets. “Normally, Mexico seems to suit us a little bit more — stop-and-start style corners, which we like,” he said. “Surprisingly, pace numbers, I was expecting us to be a bit better than what the team are saying… which is not normal.”
A note to watch on Sunday: track position off the line is king in Mexico, and Albon knows it. “What’s important here is actually your run into Turn 1. A lot of work gets put into the starts because of the importance of track positioning… We had a good start last year.” Expect Williams to bias their setup and clutch mapping toward that long drag to T1. It’s the one lever you can pull without top-tier downforce.
Back at the sharp end, it’s becoming a philosophical standoff. McLaren are trying to win a championship the hard way, with two drivers unleashed. Verstappen is trying to win one the usual way, with a team fully weaponised around him. If Red Bull’s post-Monza momentum is real, the final laps of this season will punish indecision.
Does that mean McLaren should flip the switch? The paddock’s split. Purists love what they’re doing. Pragmatists point to Verstappen’s closing speed and shrug. The only thing everyone agrees on: if this goes to the last couple of rounds with 20–30 points in it, we’ll look back at the weekends where Norris and Piastri tripped over each other’s strategy windows and wonder what might’ve been.
For now, McLaren insist they’re not choosing. Verstappen’s fine with that. And Albon, from a few garages down, has politely spelled out the cost.
