Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, reflects on the MCL40 following the closed-door shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The design has been pushed to the limit, but results so far are in line with expectations and simulator predictions.
Between the Barcelona shakedown and the first official test in Sakhir, scheduled from February 11-13, McLaren assessed its start to the season and the MCL40’s initial on-track performance.
Stella summarized the work done by his team in Montmelò, providing insights on track-to-simulator correlation and expressing satisfaction with the car’s potential for the season. “In Barcelona, we managed to collect a huge amount of data and begin to understand how the new generation car behaves on track, not just in simulators. Naturally, we would have liked to complete more laps, but the challenges in the first two days were important in helping us understand how to make the car work.”
“We knew that pushing the design phase to the limit would lead to a very tight shakedown preparation, but thanks to the work on track and in Woking, we managed to recover almost all lost time. It was a bit like building a plane while it was already in flight, but we made it,” Stella added.
“What we saw on track was in line with expectations, and especially with the simulations. We know the MCL40 is a solid starting point, but now we must work hard to develop it and, through deeper understanding of the car, improve the overall package, both immediately and to further define development directions during the season.”
Areas of improvement
Like all teams, McLaren knows there is room for improvement in several areas. The first is the management of the power unit and how the driver operates various systems, such as energy deployment and regeneration, as well as the new aerodynamic modes that switch between low-drag Straight Mode and high-downforce Corner Mode.
“One area with huge potential is exploiting the new power unit and all driver options available. There is also significant potential in managing the variable aerodynamic configuration, alternating between Corner Mode and Straight Mode,” Andrea Stella explained.
McLaren will once again face familiar rivals from recent seasons: Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes, with the latter currently appearing to have an edge. However, Andrea Stella believes performance balances may shift over the season.
“Clearly, there are at least three strong competitors – Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull – who have started well. In particular, the Brackley team has raised the bar, and we will have to work hard to do the same. The fact that these three teams use three different power units indicates that extreme differences in absolute performance may not exist, at least for certain engine suppliers,” he said.
“In any case, what we see in the first part of the season in terms of competitive balance will almost certainly differ from the second part, because early-stage car development effects can be very significant,” Andrea Stella concluded.
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