Andrea Stella: McLaren did not have the fastest car in Italy

For some time now, the McLaren single-seater has been impressing the Formula 1 paddock. With 3 Grand Prix victories and several podium finishes to their name, the team is on track to catch up with Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. While the recent rise of the team is commendable, it is a topic of debate within the other team garages. After the race, Ferrari and Red Bull had already warned the FIA about the flexibility of the aerodynamic components on the McLarens. This information was dismissed by the FIA after a thorough investigation.

This time, the debate is less serious. If one could be the result of cheating, this one concerns the performance of the car. During the Italian Grand Prix, discussions focused on the fastest car on track. Despite an official victory for Ferrari, for others, it’s McLaren that breaks all records. This information was contested by Andrea Stella, team director.

McLaren is on the same level as Ferrari

« Regarding the race, I think it’s a misconception that the McLaren was by far the fastest car,” Andrea Stella opened the discussion. Last weekend, Ferrari secured the victory after opting for a one-stop strategy. The two McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, closely followed as they occupied the last two steps of the podium. Lando Norris had managed to secure pole position during qualifying, a first place he did not hold onto as after two turns, his teammate overtook him. After a brutal maneuver widely criticized by the British driver, the Australian yielded his place to the Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, who finished the race in the lead.

After a particularly fast lap by Lando Norris during Q3, the McLaren car started to spark debates. Even after a victory by the red team, the paddock identified the car as the fastest at the moment. According to many rumours, it was McLaren’s mistakes and the contact between the two teammates that prevented the team from reaching the top of the podium. Although the two cars managed to keep up until the end, Charles Leclerc finishes the Grand Prix with a two-second lead.

As soon as the debate opened, Andrea Stella, team principal of the British team, shared his thoughts. For him, the Ferrari car had nothing to envy McLaren this weekend. “I think Leclerc was as fast as McLaren because he was able to follow Oscar during the first relay,” commented the Italian. “And normally, that means you are at least as fast if you are in dirty air and still manage to follow the leader. So I think Ferrari was as competitive as us this weekend, at least with Leclerc.”

Bad news for the stable.

During the race, McLaren managed to hang on to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and not fall too far behind. However, the additional pit stops for both drivers put an end to the battle at the front. While Oscar Piastri had a good chance of winning, this difference in strategy allowed his rival to pull ahead. On their side, McLaren decided to go for two pit stops at Monza. Concerned about tire wear, the team missed out on victory, according to Andrea Stella. “The victory would have been possible if we had been less hesitant and simply tried to react to Leclerc’s strategy,” he said. “There is therefore uncertainty about whether we could have won the race or not, but it seems that there may have been more potential in the tires than we had anticipated.”

This performance by Ferrari has been seen as bad news for its rivals. Up until now, the battle was between Red Bull and McLaren, with Ferrari caught in the middle of the duo. The Brits may stand to lose some points. If Ferrari continues to improve, we have more cars capable of taking points from Red Bull,” noted Andrea Stella. Lando Norris, who still has a chance of becoming world champion, could lose positions to Charles Leclerc.