Andrea Stella explains ‘high priority’ issue for McLaren after worrying Mercedes power comparison

Andrea Stella, the team principal of McLaren, raised significant concerns regarding the team's performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, particularly their straight-line speed. Both drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, failed to secure points, with Norris crashing and Piastri making a costly mistake that left him in thirteenth place. Stella noted that the issues stemmed from the Mercedes power unit, specifically in fuel injection and aerodynamic drag, which hindered their competitiveness on the straights.

Stella emphasised that optimising the power unit is a high priority for McLaren moving forward. He highlighted that while they managed to extract maximum performance during qualifying, they fell short during the race. The speed trap data revealed a stark contrast between McLaren and Mercedes, with Norris and Piastri lagging significantly behind in terms of speed, indicating a need for urgent improvements to remain competitive.