Stella: McLaren must not be considered F1 title favourites yet

When speaking to Italian reporters about the opening two days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, McLaren boss Stella highlighted the atypical track conditions that teams faced: "The first two days of testing in Bahrain have proven to be rather unusual.

"The lack of wind, unusually low temperatures and a higher than normal level of grip, although still lower than on other circuits, have made the track conditions unusual. The lap times were very fast, with apparently ‘easier’ driving that allowed us to put together clean laps with new tyres and reduce degradation in long runs."

However, the final day of testing presented a more realistic challenge, with conditions more representative of the usual local climate. Stella noted the impact this had on teams: "Today, however, with conditions more typical of Bahrain, i.e. stronger wind and higher temperatures, the difficulties returned to make themselves felt."

"Few drivers managed to complete representative laps, and the comparison of times must therefore be taken with due caution. This change may have generated a bit of frustration among the drivers, who after two days with a lot of grip had to readjust to a more slippery track and a slower pace," explained the team boss.

Stella pointed to McLaren’s recent development trajectory, noting that their progress had been based on incremental aerodynamic gains rather than a fundamental shift in the MCL39: "At the time we were last here, then we managed to win the world championship in 2024. I don't think the improvement was solely due to the work on the driveability of the car, but rather to the increase in aerodynamic efficiency.

"The personality of the car hasn't changed much, but it is faster because it has less drag on the straight and more downforce in the corners. As a result, the comments of the drivers are similar to those of two years ago: we haven't revolutionised the driveability, but rather the forces acting on the car," added Stella.

When asked about speculation that McLaren remains the outright benchmark by rivals and some media, Stella exercised caution: "Paddock 'radio' says we are ahead of the others? I can’t tune in to that.

"The weather has been very particular and until yesterday our car was adapting well to these conditions. Today, however, the balance and grip issues are more evident, so we can’t be sure that the balance of power seen in recent days reflects reality."

Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Stella pointed to McLaren’s struggles in the final races of 2024 as a reason to temper expectations: "If we were to base ourselves on the last races of 2024, I wouldn’t say we are ahead of everyone.

"In Las Vegas we struggled a lot and Mercedes was free to win as they saw fit. In Abu Dhabi, between McLaren and Ferrari, there wasn’t a big difference in performance. We won the title thanks to our consistency, but the performance depended a lot on the weather conditions and the type of circuit.

"To stay competitive, we had to work hard over the winter, but I see that the other teams did the same. I don’t expect a battle restricted to the usual top four teams, but perhaps even five or six teams," ventured Stella.