“It’s a Milestone”: After a Series of Underwhelming Outings, McLaren Confident of Putting Up a Massive Boost for Lando Norris & Co.

For the 2023 season, McLaren promoted Executive Director of Racing, Andrea Stella, to the role of Team Principal. What followed after that has been a matter of concern for the team. 8 races into the season, they only have 17 points. Both their drivers have complained that the car is slow and there have been no improvements so far. However, Stella has put those talks to rest by confidently commenting on McLaren’s three-fold upgrade package.

They currently sit P6 in the Constructors’ championship, 27 points behind Alpine. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have scored no points in their last 3 outings. And according to Norris, a decent showing in Canada was because of the track and not the car. Addressing those concerns, Stella spoke about the elaborate changes in the MCL60 and that the entire car would be fundamentally redesigned. The team will apply the upgrades in 3 stages over 3 race weekends. 50% of the package applied in Austria, and 25% each in the following race weekends, at Silverstone and Hungary

Stella said in a post-race interview, as quoted by Racefans.net, “I think this [upgrade package] can be more important than how suitable the track is to the characteristic of our car. Ultimately for us, it’s a milestone in terms of possibly turning around the situation this season. Not only thanks to what we bring to Austria, but also with thanks for what will follow in the next races. So even if we have only one [practice] session, hopefully we’d be able to validate the new package, and from there move on to a more competitive situation.”

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If the upgrades work for them, they can take on Alpine as they are aspiring to. And Andrea Stella, like any other team principal, has already started poking trouble for their competitors.

Andrea Stella Demands Action From the FIA Over Alpine’s Wobbly Rear Wing in Canada

During the Canadian GP, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon finished P8 at the chequered flag. But what caught the eye of viewers was the wobbly rear wing of Ocon’s A523. The rear wing seemed to have come loose, but not enough for the car to be retired. And Andrea Stella had concerns about what could have been a source of danger.

After the race in Montreal, Stella said that the shaky rear wing could have cost other drivers their race. He said, “It can’t wobble like that through normal behaviour. It wouldn’t be accepted by the FIA. It wouldn’t be accepted by the team themselves.” If McLaren picks up the pace, we could see a ‘Horner v/s Wolff’ situation in the midfield, but between Alpine and McLaren.

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Looking at the current standings, we cannot be sure if they are competing against Alpine, in P5 or Alfa Romeo, in P7. But Stella’s confident claims about the new upgrade package should put Norris’ and Piastri’s minds at ease. Thus, helping them rise to the top of the midfield.