Stella Confident McLaren Learned from Last Year's Vegas Race, Eyeing Improved Performance
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella is confident his team has learned valuable lessons from their struggles at last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix, particularly concerning tyre graining. With both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in championship contention, Stella believes McLaren can significantly improve their performance in Sin City this season, despite the MCL39's past challenges on certain fast street circuits and in cold conditions.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes his team has learned crucial lessons from last year's disappointing Las Vegas Grand Prix and is confident they can deliver a significantly improved performance in the upcoming race. The team aims to avoid a repeat of their 2024 struggles, where Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished P6 and P7, more than 43 seconds behind winner George Russell.
Why it matters:
- After a challenging outing in Las Vegas last year, an improved performance is critical for McLaren, especially with both Norris and Piastri contending for the Drivers' title. Proving they can adapt and overcome specific track challenges underscores their championship aspirations.
- A strong showing in Las Vegas would demonstrate McLaren's engineering progress and their ability to optimize car performance across diverse circuit types, reinforcing their status as a top contender.
The details:
- Tyre Graining Issues: Last year, McLaren's primary struggle in Las Vegas was excessive tyre graining, which severely hampered their pace and consistency throughout the race.
- Learning and Adapting: Stella acknowledged the team 'needed to learn something' during the 2024 race to mitigate graining, suggesting significant data analysis and strategic adjustments have been made since.
- Tyre Compound Changes: This year's tyre compounds are expected to exhibit 'much less' graining, which could inherently favor McLaren and lead to a 'slightly different Vegas' experience compared to last year.
- MCL39 on Street Circuits: The MCL39 has shown some vulnerability on faster street circuits lacking long, high-speed corners, which prevents the car from fully utilizing its aerodynamic strengths.
- Cooling System Challenges: The cold weather conditions in Las Vegas could also limit the benefits of McLaren's innovative cooling system, which thrives in warmer environments.
What's next:
- Despite past struggles on certain track layouts, Stella remains optimistic about the MCL39's adaptability for the remaining four races, including Las Vegas. He emphasizes the team's focus on 'extracting the full performance that is available in the car.'
- The key for McLaren will be to validate their learnings from last year and demonstrate effective car setup and strategy on a unique street circuit like Las Vegas. Success here would be a significant morale booster and a testament to their championship credentials as the season nears its conclusion.