Martin Brundle highlights McLaren ‘ace card’ in title fight against Max Verstappen

Martin Brundle believes McLaren having two drivers against Max Verstappen is their “ace card” but warned they are going to have to “play that very well.”

Verstappen has moved to within 40 points of the Championship lead having at one stage looked out of it but Brundle believes the numerical superiority McLaren have can be decisive.

Martin Brundle picks out McLaren’s ‘ace card’

With Yuki Tsunoda down in 16th in the standings, the 2025 season has a familiar feel of Verstappen doing it alone as he attempts to haul in the McLaren duo.

Plenty have said that McLaren should have focused on one driver rather than the 50-50 ‘papaya rules’ approach they have followed so far and Brundle believes that the two against one battle should put McLaren ahead.

“Verstappen has scored 119 of a possible 133 points in the last five races and closed down Piastri’s advantage by 60 points in the last four events, now just 40 behind,” he wrote in his Sky Sports column.

“At that rate he will be champion but some of the tracks coming up should ensure that normal service resumes for McLaren, although there is no doubt that the Red Bull is a better all-round car now and Max is on peak form.

More on McLaren from PlanetF1.com
👉 Oscar Piastri still not thinking clearly as Norris and Verstappen close in
👉 How Max Verstappen can beat Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to the F1 title
👉 PF1 verdict: Can Max Verstappen pull off McLaren upset and win the F1 2025 title?

“McLaren’s ace card is that it’s two against one, and they are going to need to play that very well on every GP weekend until and including Abu Dhabi.”

The most dramatic action from the weekend came in Turn 1 of the sprint race when Oscar Piastri inadvertently took out his own team-mate.

Brundle described that as a “significant moment in this year’s Drivers’ Championship.”

“What Piastri did was textbook driving when in normal combat up at turn one, but not at the start as there’s virtually guaranteed to be one or more cars trying to out-brake each other into that space. And there’s no capacity for those cars to slow further or change direction quickly.

“Piastri was very focused on his championship rival, and the pack simply bit him.

“The crying shame for McLaren and Norris is that the now two-wheeling Piastri broke his rear wheel along with his own front suspension. With Verstappen out front it was the worst-case scenario for them.

“That Sprint first corner was a very significant moment in this year’s Drivers’ Championship.”

Read next: Fred Vasseur points to mysterious ‘third party’ as Ferrari responds to Horner rumours