Andrea Stella reviews McLaren’s Friday: “Good result, but not what we wanted” | F1 USA GP. Andrea Stella reflects on McLaren’s mixed Friday in Austin.

McLaren’s bittersweet Friday at COTA

Andrea Stella discussed McLaren’s mixed start to the Austin weekend and his expectations for Saturday. The team missed the chance to claim the first pole of the weekend, with Max Verstappen setting the fastest time ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the Shootout qualifying, taking yet another pole position.

While the papaya team remains a favorite in Texas, the threat from the four-time world champion is increasingly evident, especially after the pace Red Bull showed yesterday, securing pole with a tenth of a second advantage over Norris and four-tenths over Oscar Piastri. The Sprint Race is likely to provide a clearer picture of McLaren’s form, as the Woking-based team continues to aim high for the rest of the weekend. Andrea Stella reiterated, “We are here for the Pole Positions,” hoping his drivers can recover during the Sprint and Saturday qualifying sessions.

Stella’s words

“A positive start to the weekend in Austin, with a fairly complete representation from our group,” Stella said, reflecting on Friday’s sessions. “Today’s sessions confirm that our main competitor has improved their car [Verstappen] and continues to provide close competition across the different types of circuits we face.”

The Woking team’s technical director added, “During free practice, we managed to fine-tune our race plan despite the disruption caused by the red flag. Lando and Oscar gathered a lot of important data from their laps, which we were then able to use in the Sprint qualifying.”

“Overall, it’s a good result, but not what we wanted. We are here for the Pole Positions, but we can still take positives from today,” the Italian explained. “Our car seems competitive compared to some recent circuits, and we have a solid base to refine certain performance areas before tackling the Sprint and Saturday qualifying.”

“We look forward to the Sprint race, the conditions will be very hot. Considering the increased tire degradation, we should see a competitive and entertaining Saturday for the fans,” Stella concluded.