McLaren send firm title warning after 'symbolic' qualifying session

Andrea Stella has sent McLaren the clear message that the team "need to deliver" in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to ensure either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri wins the F1 drivers' championship.

The team-mates start the 58-lap race at the Yas Marina Circuit from second and third on the grid, with the third title protagonist, Max Verstappen, having secured pole position.

Therefore, it is the British driver who is poised to take the crown, but the Woking-based squad must navigate the final round cleanly first.

Following the grid-setting session, Stella highlighted how close his two drivers were, with just 29-thousandths of a second separating them.

"Well, first of all, let me say that having Oscar and Lando so close is the story of the season," he told Sky Sports F1.

"This qualifying is symbolic of what's been a very, very close performance between Oscar and Lando, and it's fair, and it's good that they are both here fighting for the championship, and in a good position to do so."

The 54-year-old was quick to acknowledge that the MCL39 simply did not have the measure of the RB21 when it mattered.

However, the constructors' champions are believed to have placed a premium on race pace, compared to Red Bull, which has prioritised pure one-lap pace.

"In terms of the qualifying itself, Verstappen and Red Bull had one or two tenths more than us today. So fair enough that they are in pole position," Stella said.

"Happy with the performance, I think Oscar and Lando managed to extract what was available in the car today.

"It was not a simple qualifying session, because this has been, I think, the tightest qualifying in terms of how compact the whole field was between the fastest and the slowest.

"So it required quite a lot of attention in terms of tyre usage, delivering on laps."

Norris holds a 12-point advantage over Verstappen, so even if he is passed by Piastri in the race, he is still in position to take his maiden crown, and the first for McLaren since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

But, Stella remains well aware that his team must execute during the race, or risk letting the Dutchman in for a fifth-consecutive title.

"So overall, I think a positive day in the economy of the championship," he added. "It's in our hands, but we need to deliver tomorrow."