Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, admits that the MCL39 – the car leading the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship – is not flawless. While the papaya-coloured machine has shown crushing superiority in medium-speed corners, Stella acknowledges that its performance in very high-speed and very low-speed corners is not the absolute best.
The 2025 Formula 1 season, the last one under the current ground-effect regulations, has developed with a single undisputed protagonist: the McLaren MCL39. The Woking-based team has secured eleven wins in the first fourteen races, turning consistency into dominance thanks to both of its drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Four consecutive one-two finishes have further underlined the team’s technical and sporting superiority, leaving rivals like Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes frustrated and often powerless to respond.
The MCL39 is the culmination of years of steady technical development and represents a perfect blend of aerodynamic stability, efficiency, and overall balance. One of its greatest strengths is how well it works with Pirelli’s tyres, allowing McLaren to extract maximum performance without suffering excessive degradation. But despite the aura of invincibility, Andrea Stella wanted to clarify after the Hungarian Grand Prix that McLaren’s dominance does not mean the car is flawless.
Andrea Stella’s honesty
Following yet another triumphant weekend, Stella shared an unusually candid assessment. “We have our weaknesses,” he admitted. “If you go into an ultra-high-speed corner like Copse at Silverstone or Pouhon at Spa, we don’t have the fastest car. We are probably not the best in the very slow corners either, where at least one of our rivals is stronger than us.”
Stella’s words echo what the data already shows. In Formula 1, every team closely monitors sector times and GPS traces of their competitors. These telemetry tools reveal exactly where each car gains or loses time, and McLaren is no exception. Stella was clear: this is not about exposing secrets but about interpreting data that is openly available to anyone who knows how to read it.
The weakness in extreme corners
In very high-speed corners such as Copse or Pouhon, aerodynamic downforce and car stability are decisive. Here, McLaren sometimes loses a fraction of time compared to Red Bull Racing or Mercedes, which have shown stronger performance in these scenarios.
On the other hand, in very slow-speed corners, traction and mechanical grip come into play. Ferrari, for example, has occasionally demonstrated surprising competitiveness in these conditions, thanks to strong traction on corner exit. It is a classic compromise: a setup optimised for medium-speed corners may not provide the same advantage in the extremes of very fast or very slow bends.
McLaren MCL39: dominance in the middle ground
Where the McLaren MCL39 truly excels is in medium-speed corners. And in modern Formula 1, that is where the difference is made. “Most corners in the championship fall into this category, and the GPS data shows without any doubt that we are the fastest there,” Stella explained.
This fact carries huge weight given the current calendar of 24 races. The majority of modern circuits feature a predominance of medium-speed corners, and being the best in this category gives McLaren a structural advantage that translates into season-long dominance.
Why the McLaren MCL39 is untouchable in medium-speed corners
The exceptional performance of the McLaren MCL39 in medium-speed sections is no coincidence. The car has been developed with aerodynamic balance as a priority. The way downforce is distributed allows the car to remain stable while turning in, while the underfloor aerodynamics and suspension geometry maximise the ground-effect regulations without sacrificing driveability.
Another key factor is tyre management. In medium-speed corners, maintaining the correct operating window for the Pirelli compounds makes a huge difference, especially across long stints in races. The MCL39 has proved extremely kind to its tyres, keeping degradation low and ensuring performance remains consistent lap after lap.
Finally, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have driving styles that perfectly complement this strength. The confidence the MCL39 gives them in medium-speed corners allows them to attack aggressively while maintaining precision, transforming the car’s technical superiority into consistent race-winning results.
McLaren MCL39: a balanced car that makes the difference
Stella’s words paint a picture of a car that is not perfect, but one whose overwhelming strength in the most decisive area of performance outweighs its minor shortcomings. In Formula 1, no car is flawless; every design involves compromises. McLaren chose to maximise competitiveness where it matters most for lap time – medium-speed corners.
That is why, even without being the fastest in every single condition, the MCL39 has become the car to beat in 2025. Its dominance is built on consistency, adaptability, and repeatability of performance, rather than occasional flashes of brilliance. It is a rational and scientific approach, one that Stella has always championed and that is now fully confirmed by both data and results on track.
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