Table of Content
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted that the MCL40 possessed true podium pace at the United States Grand Prix, despite the team having to settle for fifth and seventh place finishes. Stella pointed directly to poor qualifying results on Saturday as the main factor that ruined their chances of fighting for a top finish.
Qualifying Struggles Cost Track Position
According to Motorsport.com, Stella stated during his post-race media debrief that starting lower down the grid made a podium finish virtually unattainable due to the difficulties of overtaking in midfield traffic. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were forced to spend the afternoon burning up their tires in dirty air instead of attacking the race leaders.
Stella admitted there was a shared sense of frustration across the entire team for failing to fully exploit their potential during Saturday qualifying, acknowledging that the responsibility falls on them to improve.
Strong Race Pace and Defensive Driving
Despite the grid position penalty, data from the newly upgraded MCL40 showed highly promising performance during the race. Norris demonstrated strong speed in clean air, while Piastri successfully held off Mercedes driver George Russell for roughly thirty laps after Russell recovered from an early penalty.
As reported by Motorsport.com, Stella praised the strategic decisions and driving execution, noting that the brought upgrades made a positive contribution to the car’s performance.
Team Harmony and Future Goals
Stella also expressed satisfaction with how Norris and Piastri worked together on the track, successfully avoiding any repeat of their collision at the Singapore Grand Prix and prioritizing the team’s best interests.
However, Stella emphasized that fifth and seventh place results are not enough as McLaren aims to hunt down competitors in the constructors’ championship and finish the season strongly fighting for victories.
