Andrea Stella: New Formula 1 regulations mean a different way of going racing for McLaren

As GP247 reported earlier this week, McLaren came to Japan determined to bounce back from its China setback and close the gap to the front, while Lando Norris admitted the team is still not where it wants to be despite the MCL40’s clear potential. 

At the end of FP2 at Suzuka today, some of that potential surfaced, as Oscar Piastri topped the timing screens to end the day fastest of all. A respite for the Australian who has yet to complete a lap in a Grand Prix this year.

Speaking during Friday’s FIA-hosted team representatives’ press conference, Stella underlined that the scale of the adaptation goes beyond the usual early-season bedding in. The McLaren team boss said: “With entirely new regulations and also a different way of going racing, where you have now, as a driver, to manage the shortage of electrical energy, which at the same time is so crucial for propulsion.

"There’s a lot of learning in every single lap you do in a weekend, and obviously, when it comes to racing and racing other cars, the race itself is the most important situation to learn," explained the TP.

That goes to the heart of McLaren’s current reality. The team has not only been hunting pace, it has also been chasing mileage and understanding after the double failure in China left both cars out before the race even began, a blow Stella described as exceptional.

Stella continued: “China was definitely a challenging and frustrating event for us. Two cars not being able to take part in a Grand Prix is pretty exceptional as a situation. We understand the source of the problem. In both cases, it was related to the electrical side of the power unit. We had faults on the battery, but different faults, pretty much at the same time of the weekend, and in this sense it’s quite exceptional.”

“We have worked together with HPP to investigate the problem. I think the problem is now understood. It’s not the same, like I say, on the two batteries, and on Oscar’s side we were in condition to reuse the same battery because we could apply some repairs, while on Lando’s side we needed to go on to a new battery pack," revealed Stella.

That background matters because McLaren’s Japan build-up was already framed by internal work at Woking and a joint investigation with Mercedes to stop a repeat, while Norris had warned the team remained only the third best at this stage, even if the car had more to give. 

Stella insisted McLaren is not fearing another immediate failure: “No. We trust 100 per cent that HPP have put in place remedials. I think we are exposed as a team; likewise, all other teams may be exposed. There’s no team dependency in the kind of problem that we had on the electrical side of the power unit.”

“HPP have very high standards. When they have information to process from a fault, for sure they will execute and put in place all the necessary learnings, adaptations and actions to avoid a repeat. So, we are definitely looking forward here to having, I would say, a regular weekend, like we haven’t had the chance in China and, to some extent, not even in Australia with Oscar spinning in the laps to the grid.”

Stella admitted: “So, from this point of view, Oscar is a little bit on the back foot, but at the same time, there’s a lot that you can learn by looking at the data of your teammate. Even in the race in China, I was with Oscar and Lando, we were commenting, we were learning while looking, so there’s learning anywhere.”

Crucially, the boss said McLaren’s two drivers are working closer than ever: “Also, I have to say that Lando and Oscar are collaborating this season, if anything, more than ever before. They keep gelling in terms of teammates, they keep sharing information, they keep trying to see what is the common learning. So, I think Oscar has taken some benefit from what has happened collectively as a team.”

Later, Stella expanded on Piastri’s response to adversity: “Yes, I think this start of the season has given Oscar the opportunity to test where he was with his maturity, with his strength, with his ability to absorb adversity.

"I have to say that the team is so impressed by the strength that this driver is exhibiting, and I have to say passing on to the team, because when you see a driver responding like that to a second race in which he was not in condition to be part of it, then this becomes extremely motivational for all the team."

For all the frustration and disappointment of Melbourne and Shanghai, and despite their worst start to a campaign since 2023, Stella was adamant that the MCL40 remains a strong base: “I think the MCL40 is a very high-potential platform.”

But he was equally clear about where it is falling short: “At the moment, our car, when we compare it to Ferrari and Mercedes, suffers a bit of a deficit in grip. So, Ferrari and Mercedes are faster than us in the corners. I think compared to Mercedes, we see that we are probably underexploiting the power unit a little bit.

“We are on a steep learning curve when it comes to getting the most out of the power unit, which is positive, and we are working very well with HPP to make sure that we get on top of all the potential, extracting all the potential that is available in the power unit.”

Stella then pointed to the next step: “But coming back on the chassis side, we understand exactly what to do in terms of putting in place the actions to improve the chassis furthermore. In fact, it’s just about bringing upgrades that will increase the aerodynamic efficiency.

"These will happen in the next couple of events, so I think from there we should see a positive trajectory and we are confident that McLaren will be in condition to compete for podiums and victories on merit within this season," concluded the Italian.

That is the message from Suzuka. McLaren are not pretending they are there yet. But Stella’s view is that under Formula 1’s new rules, the learning itself is now part of the race. Not disguising that this new era rules package is not how the reigning World Champions are used to going racing.
(Reporting by Agnes Carlier from Suzuka)