McLaren's team principal explains how Monaco is 'really on the limit'
F1 News
Andrea Stella, McLaren's team principal, is at the helm of a huge transition for the Woking-based team. The Italian has transformed McLaren from a backmarker in early 2023 into a serious contender in 2024. This was epitomised at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, as Lando Norris finished just seven-tenths behind Max Verstappen in his RB20 after Norris gained on the Dutchman considerably lap by lap in the race's closing stages. Stella feels positive going into the iconic Monaco Grand Prix, explaining to GPblog and others why in the Imola paddock.
The former Ferrari engineer first explained why Monaco is so unique. Stella commented on Esteban Ocon's stunning P3 for midfielder Alpine in 2023. "The thing with Monaco is that it's really on the limit of the track characteristics. Last year, think about what happened to Alpine. They were mega in Monaco and that's Monaco. Sometimes your car works very well, and your drivers are really in the groove. So I would suspend the judgment for the moment. The only thing we can do is be as prepared as possible with the race operations and with the car specification as well," said Stella.
Can McLaren win in Monaco?
Stella said that McLaren will be bringing some circuit-specific upgrades to Monaco to help maximise the performance of the MCL38. "We will take some new parts in Monaco which are track-specific for the maximum downforce configuration and hopefully they will help us stay with the best.
"With the new upgrades, I think we definitely added some performance more in the medium and low speed." Concluded Stella, who will be hoping McLaren continues to contend with Red Bull at a range of different circuits.