McLaren’s rollercoaster from Sprint dominance to qualifying setback
Within the space of just four hours, McLaren went from a dominant one-two finish in the Sprint race to a qualifying session that ended with the cars in fourth and seventh positions.
In situations like this, there are usually two possible explanations: either a step backwards from the Woking-based team or an improvement from their rivals. Andrea Stella leans strongly towards the second scenario, while also acknowledging in his post-qualifying analysis in Miami that several factors did influence the performances of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Stella: “Margins are extremely close in Formula 1”
The McLaren team principal described a highly competitive technical landscape, where the team was able to find a strong baseline setup very early on Friday. However, their direct rivals required more time and only reached peak performance during Saturday’s qualifying session.
“We saw four teams separated by just a few tenths,” explained Stella. “Mercedes probably still has an advantage. In Sprint qualifying, pole position could have gone to Antonelli, Leclerc, one of our drivers, or Verstappen.”
“The performance levels are very close, and the difference comes down to execution, optimisation, and adaptation to conditions. Overall, it’s still a positive day for McLaren because we saw that the updates are working well.”
Execution and conditions made the difference
According to Stella, the contrast between Sprint qualifying and Grand Prix qualifying is mainly linked to execution factors and adaptation to changing conditions.
“Yesterday in Sprint qualifying we didn’t have any particular issues, while today we had to manage a power unit behaviour that was not fully optimal. These are not real problems, but rather a matter of adaptation to the conditions: this affects both lap time and the drivers’ references.”
Wind conditions also played a role in the performance of Norris and Piastri, with gusts increasing in intensity shortly before the session began.
“We have to accept that this kind of sensitivity in the power unit is something we are not used to, probably never seen before in Formula 1. Today, for example, the wind affected certain settings: the time spent on the straight changed, and the optimisation tools adapted to those conditions.”
“There is a kind of chase between systems and external variables, which makes everything very complex. Some factors that were marginal on Friday became significant in Grand Prix qualifying, and every variation has an effect on the entire system. It’s not only about where energy is used, but also how it interacts with other elements, including the internal combustion part.”
Mercedes strong, McLaren focused on development
Regarding Mercedes’ performance, still strong at the front but with smaller margins compared to previous races, Stella highlighted the benefits of their updates, particularly in mechanical grip and aerodynamic efficiency.
For McLaren, however, the development programme is far from finished.
“We saw the highest number of updates on Ferrari, followed by Red Bull and McLaren. As already mentioned, we will bring further upgrades in Canada, and that is an encouraging aspect.”
Leave a Reply