McLaren hits back at Mercedes, rubbishes Red Bull copycat claims

McLaren have outclassed their engine suppliers Mercedes at their home track, earning a podium after 13 years.

McLaren hits back at Mercedes, rubbishes Red Bull copycat claims

Andrea Stella (left, credits: GridOto.com) and Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff (Right, Credits: DAZN)

In a stunning turnaround, McLaren, once plagued by struggles this season, unveiled a complete car overhaul at the British Grand Prix. The revamped design propelled them to a podium finish and a remarkable P4, accumulating 30 points in a single race, surpassing their season’s previous races’ total. Following an impressive performance by McLaren at the British Grand Prix, Mercedes raised eyebrows by indirectly comparing their car to that of Red Bull. 

In a thrilling duel during the safety car restart, Lando Norris fiercely defended his second position against Lewis Hamilton‘s charge. Hamilton, on soft tires, could not easily overtake Norris on hard tires. Impressed by the performance, albeit frustrated by the challenge, Hamilton, during the post-qualifying conference, remarked, “If you put a McLaren alongside a Red Bull, it looks very, very similar.”

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Responding to the comparisons made by Mercedes, McLaren’s Team Principal, Andrea Stella, emphasized that seeking inspiration from other teams is a common practice in Formula 1. Stella stated, “Every team takes inspiration from any other team.” He acknowledged that teams analyze photos and absorb ideas. Still, he clarified that inspiration does not equate to blindly copying the geometry or implementing it into simulations and wind tunnel tests.

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Andrea Stella claims that knowing what will work on your car is the key element

Andrea Stella
Andrea Stella (Credits: New York Times)

Echoing Lewis Hamilton’s sentiments, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that “from the outside”, the MCL60 “looks like a Red Bull”. However, Stella further explained that simply incorporating another team’s design often leads to a decline in performance rather than improvements. He said, “The key element is understanding that some concepts have more potential that allows you to develop faster and for longer.” He emphasized the importance of having the right people in the right positions to identify these concepts and execute effective development strategies.

In recognizing the efforts behind McLaren’s recent progress, Andrea Stella specifically lauded Peter Prodromou, the head of McLaren’s aerodynamic development. Peter was a former aerodynamicist at Red Bull who moved to McLaren during their massive technical overhaul at the start of the season. Stella said Peter “is doing an exceptional job in terms of setting the conceptual direction, but also organizing and inspiring the entire aerodynamic group.”

McLaren has skyrocketed from sixth to fifth in the standings, putting some distance between them and Alpine. With the pace the Woking outfit has shown, the team might be troubling the teams ahead of them in the charts. A trend of copying the dominant car’s design is uncommon in F1. Mercedes have also played a source for such replications back during their dominance. 

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