A tough uphill finish for McLaren: Stella’s conservative choice that could prove costly
Since the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, McLaren’s papaya-colored cars haven’t claimed a single victory, managing only three podiums. This dip in form should have raised alarms for McLaren’s engineers, prompting them to develop upgrades to support their struggling drivers in a highly competitive championship.
Yet, Stella has repeatedly dismissed the need for new components, offering reasons that might seem reasonable on the surface.
McLaren: Andrea Stella explains why no more upgrades are coming
“The pace was convincing,” says Stella about Norris’s performance
Without Lando Norris’s second-place finish in Austin, McLaren’s weekend could have been a complete disaster. Adding to their woes, the team suffered a double DNF in the Sprint Race, and Oscar Piastri endured one of his worst weekends since Baku. The fact that these two disappointing races were so close together should worry the British team. Oscar Piastri, who shone with a Grand Chelem victory at Zandvoort, seems to have lost the sharpness that defined his earlier performances.
“New upgrades? There won’t be any more,” Andrea Stella declared after the Austin Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. “Looking at our race pace, it was quite reassuring. I think if we hadn’t been battling Charles [Leclerc], Lando could have had the pace to win. That gives us confidence. Also, since we couldn’t race in the Sprint, we didn’t gather enough data for an optimal setup. We could have definitely extracted more performance from the car.”
While Norris seemed comfortable with the car’s setup, Oscar Piastri struggled to adapt, resulting in an unremarkable fifth-place finish. This contrast highlights potential setup issues that the team hasn’t fully addressed.
Despite Stella’s confidence, with Helmut Marko’s bold claims about Red Bull’s upgrades, can McLaren really afford to skip new developments for the final five races?
McLaren: Better safe than sorry?
With only a few races left, McLaren’s focus is already shifting toward next season’s car. However, their current challenge comes in the form of Max Verstappen, the last rival McLaren would have wanted to face. Red Bull, reminiscent of their dominant form from two seasons ago, has made Verstappen a formidable opponent, keeping McLaren’s drivers on edge.
The MCL39 is a strong foundation, so why isn’t McLaren pushing for a final upgrade package to help Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri? It’s hard to believe the car has reached its full potential. A small improvement—perhaps just a tenth of a second—could boost team morale and performance.
If McLaren fails to secure the Drivers’ Championship, which once seemed within reach, it could go down as one of the biggest missed opportunities in Formula 1 history. Beyond that, the mental toll on two young drivers, destined to shape McLaren’s storied legacy, could be significant.
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