As Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri Struggle to Find Any Footing, McLaren Boss Points to More “Fundamental” Issues at Hand

McLaren has a glorious past in Formula 1, but a dry spell since 2008. Lando Norris, who was 7th in the drivers’ championship in 2022, has failed to score a podium so far in 2023 let alone challenge for wins. He has also been out-qualified and outraced by his rookie teammate Oscar Piastri on some occasions. Piastri, who replaced Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren, has shown flashes of brilliance. While there are several aero deficiencies, McLaren has also been worrying about its power unit side of things. Although, McLaren TP Andrea Stella says that the power unit headache is a secondary one for Mclaren.

F1 is heading for a big change in 2026 when the current hybrid engines will be replaced by more electric ones. This has lured some new names, like Audi and Ford – who will team up with Red Bull Powertrains. It has also convinced Honda, who were leaving F1 after 2021, to stay and invest in the new technology. But where does this leave McLaren, who have been buying engines from Mercedes since 2021? They would aim to break the drought in 2026 when the sport switches to more efficient hybrid engines. Though, is it loyal to Mercedes & won’t join forces with another engine manufacturer?

On this McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella expressed his views. He cited why they are confident that they can still fight for championships in the future, with 2026 as a target year. According to Speedcafe Stella said that McLaren’s priority is to be ready for 2026, and not waste time or resources on an uncertain project.

He stated, “At the moment, if we look at our limitations, they have nothing to do with the power unit. I think they are much more fundamental. That’s where I would like to keep the focus.” The Italian boss also stressed that the power unit is not the only factor that determines success in F1.

“And even when I think about aiming to improve from an aerodynamic point of view, or even to improve from a tire point of view, I’ve seen the role of the power unit is even in terms of layout, and construction and so on, is really small. So I remain convinced that it could be one of the final incremental elements of differentiation but I don’t think there should be too much of a preoccupation.”

Read More: “He Might Go to…”: As Frustration Continues to Pile Up With McLaren, Lando Norris Touted to Join F1 Rivals

McLaren and Mercedes have a rich history together, dating back to 1995. They won four titles and made some great cars till the 2000s. Their split in 2009 was a turning point when Mercedes bought its own F1 team. Although since they reunited with Mercedes in 2021, it seems unrealistic that the Woking team will once again throw the dice on their engine.

Despite their recent success, McLaren still faces some challenges in the future. While the Woking team don’t have to worry about the engine development owing to its partner Mercedes, it may be an issue for them.

The challenge here is the competition from Ferrari and Red Bull, who are building their own engines and can influence the direction of their development. So, McLaren will have to rely on Mercedes’ expertise and innovation to keep up with them.

Stella acknowledged that being a customer team has some disadvantages. Yet he also pointed out that McLaren’s current limitations have nothing to do with the power unit.

McLaren has an uphill challenge for 2026: to beat the works teams and the newcomers, with a Mercedes engine. It may not be perfect now, but it may be the best choice. How do you feel about McLaren’s situation?

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