As early as the eve of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella warned of the spectre of the inevitable Max Verstappen inserting himself into what looked like an intra-team Formula 1 title battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Stella would soon be proved right, through a combination of Red Bull's unexpected resurgence and McLaren's own failings, having left points on the table in Baku, Singapore and Austin while Piastri suffered his first big wobble as a championship contender.
