McLaren has denied the assertion that it possessed the outright quickest car at Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix amid the team’s loss to a one-stopping Charles Leclerc.
The Woking-based squad was unable to convert a second front-row lock-out this season as Ferrari’s choice to complete one less pit stop paid dividends with Leclerc.
McLaren’s race was hindered on the opening lap when Oscar Piastri’s bold pass on pole-sitting team-mate Lando Norris saw the latter drop to third behind the Ferrari.
The Briton retrieved the position when McLaren executed an undercut on Lap 15, but the earlier pit stop prompted the team to place both drivers onto a two-stop plan.
However, Leclerc managed to preserve his rubber 38 laps to the end at both a consistent and competitive enough pace to cross the line with 2.5 seconds over Piastri.
Norris, who came home in third, has denied that McLaren could have replicated Leclerc’s one-stop and he hinted that it wouldn’t have mattered as Ferrari was quicker.
“We knew it’d be tight [to make the one stop], but with our car and some of the limitations we have it wasn’t possible today, so we knew it,” Norris said.
“So, we’re disappointed of course, but yeah, Ferrari did a better job. They had a better car today, and that’s hats off to them.”
McLaren boss Andrea Stella concurred with Norris’ assessment in some regard as he contended that Ferrari’s SF-24 car was at least a match to McLaren in race trim.
The Italian has cited how Leclerc was able to maintain pace behind his drivers across the opening two stints as evidence that McLaren didn’t boast a pace advantage.
“In terms of the race today, I think there maybe a misunderstanding that the McLaren was by far the fastest car,” Stella told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think Leclerc was as fast as McLaren today because he could stay with Oscar in the first stint and normally when you have the dirty air and you can stay with the race leader you are at least as fast as the race leader.
“This normally leads to some degradation, like Leclerc had in the final bit of the first stint.
“And even in the second stint he was behind two McLarens and still he could stay with the McLarens.
“Even if you look at the practice and the qualifying I think lap times were essentially within the noise of putting together laps.
“So I think Ferrari this weekend they were as competitive as us, at least with Leclerc, which for us is somehow bad news because it meant we couldn’t simply cruise in the race.
“We needed to deal with them and they did a good job at exploiting some of their strengths.”
But although McLaren missed out on landing a greater points haul, Stella has argued that Ferrari’s revival with upgrades could also be an aid in its battle with Red Bull.
“At the same time it’s good news because we have more cars that can take points away off Red Bull,” he continued.
“So actually I think this is better news for us and we need to make sure we maximise the potential that is available in the car.
“Even if it means that at these kind of circuits Ferrari will set a very serious challenge for the victory.”
McLaren’s double podium at Monza has seen the gap to Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship close to eight points, with Ferrari 31 points behind in third place.
