“Our objective is to become a top four car,” Andrea Stella has high hopes for McLaren despite its poor start to the 2023 F1 season

McLaren is tenth in the 2023 Constructor Standings after the Saudi Arabian GP.

“Our objective is to become a top four car,” Andrea Stella has high hopes for McLaren despite its poor start to the 2023 F1 season

Andrea Stella. Image via McLaren.

McLaren has been having a series of unfortunate events in the 2023 Formula 1 season.  At Bahrain GP, Lando Norris pitted six times and he was 2 laps behind the race leader Max Verstappen. Oscar Piastri, the F1 rookie had a DNF. The team hoped for a better result in the second round at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. However, Piastri and Norris finished 15th and 17th, respectively. Ever since the team launched the MCL60, Andrea Stella has been stating McLaren is not happy with the evolution of the 2022 design. 

Lando Norris and Zak Brown also admitted the team had to set “realistic” goals for the 2023 season. The team is going through a rough patch. But, according to Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team boss, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The team will bring upgrades for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. They will debut a “B spec” car. This might solve the team’s problems. 

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However, Andrea Stella refused to elaborate much on the new update the team would bring to Baku. Stella spoke to Autosport about MCL60’s flaws first, “ In terms of weaknesses of the car, we talk about aerodynamic efficiency. It not necessarily means the car is draggy. Simply the ratio between downforce and drag is not as high as we would like. That’s the main weakness.”

Related: Martin Brundle labels Fernando Alonso’s Saudi Arabian GP podium saga as an ’embarrassment’ to F1

Andrea Stella reveals McLaren is working on other upgrades apart from Baku

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Andrea Stella. Image via Athletistic.

Speaking about the Azerbaijan update, Stella stated, “When it comes to the Baku upgrade, we do see the numbers, which are promising. It’s hopefully from sixth, it will allow us to be fifth. It’s not enough yet to achieve our objective for the season, which is to become a top-four car. This will require the Baku upgrade and we require another couple of upgrades following Baku on which we are working.” McLaren will have to bring more upgrades before they can start fighting for fourth place in the constructors’ title.

Andrea Stella also addressed Piastri’s qualifying result in Jeddah. He credited McLaren’s competitiveness in the circuit to the grippy tarmac. Stella stated they rely less on the aerodynamic load and have more grip from the tyres. Hence, these conditions hide the underlying deficit from an aerodynamic point of view. McLaren’s problems have only been piling up since the season opener. 

Ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP, Lando Norris stated that the situation in McLaren wasn’t as bad as the media made it seem. He stressed that it was just one race. Unfortunately for them, it carried on to the next race as well. With the team’s promising upgrades for Baku, they have a chance to turn things around. Andrea Stella wants Mclaren to achieve their goal of leading the midfield.

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