Stella identifies McLaren upgrade timing as key factor in Silverstone slump

Stella points to McLaren’s upgrade lag

Andrea Stella has identified McLaren being out of sequence with its Formula 1 rivals on upgrades as the biggest single factor behind the team’s recent drop in competitiveness.

The weekend added to a run in which McLaren has appeared to lose ground while rivals have continued to bring performance to the track. For more on the team’s Silverstone Sprint difficulties, Stella had already addressed Norris’ frustration in a separate McLaren review of the event: Stella explains Norris fuel-saving frustration in British GP Sprint.

Upgrade rhythm becomes decisive

McLaren’s last major package arrived in Miami, but its development path has since become less straightforward. A new front wing was removed in Canada before being reintroduced in Barcelona, while a new ‘Macarena’ style rear wing appeared in Austria but was not raced due to concerns. That part also did not appear at Silverstone.

Fresh components are planned for the Hungarian GP, and Stella made clear that the missed timing has hurt McLaren’s lap-time potential.

“I think the fact that we are out of sync with upgrades is probably the biggest single factor,” Stella told media.

“We see that everyone bringing upgrades improves their lap-time potential by three tenths or something, and definitely this would not close the gap that we have to Ferrari and Mercedes, because I think it's more in the area of half a second, but definitely it will be very helpful.”

Power unit and Silverstone conditions also under scrutiny

Stella also pointed to Silverstone’s low-grip, windy conditions, which made the car slide and become more unpredictable. In his view, those circumstances placed a premium on cars with more grip and downforce, because they were easier for drivers to trust.

McLaren is also not yet running the upgraded Mercedes power unit already used by fellow customers Alpine and Williams, with the newer specification understood to be possible before the summer break.

Stella said there may be further gains in how McLaren exploits its available power unit, adding: “I would say it is not only the deployment, but it has to do with some other factors, including the specification.”

He did not place tyre degradation at the centre of the issue, noting that the race degradation appeared broadly similar across the field. The priority now is clear: McLaren must turn its planned updates into a competitive advantage quickly.