McLaren boss Andrea Stella shed light on inherent deficiencies of its MCL39 that augmented its lack of pace during Formula 1‘s Singapore Grand Prix qualifying.
The Woking-based squad has fielded one of the most competitive cars of the ground effects era in the form of the MCL39 this season.
Between the duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, McLaren has won a staggering 12 out 17 races so far — rendering the outcome of the Constructors’ championship a mere formality.
Yet, the MCL39 has not been invincible.
During qualifying for the Singapore GP, McLaren endured one of its least competitive showings with championship leader Piastri consigned to the second-row of the grid with the third-fastest lap in Q3 and Norris ending up in fifth.
The streets of Singapore have seemingly exposed the MCL39’s inherent weaknesses, something Stella has dubbed as a “pattern” apparent to him and the team from earlier in the season.
“We seem to observe a pattern, having been in Baku and then here in Singapore, that resembles what we have seen in Canada,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“And when we have braking with bumps and with kerbs, you know, in Canada we were not the best car, in Baku we were not the best car, and in Singapore we are not the best car.”
McLaren ‘suffering with bumps and kerbs’ on Singapore GP circuit
That said, the Italian revealed that the car’s lace of pace did not come as a surprise for him — neither does he look at it from a negative perspective.
Instead, the former Ferrari man explained how the team will use this data to forge a pathway for further development.
“So, this is from a technical point of view, not an entire surprise, because we know in which conditions we develop our car,” asserted Stella.
“It’s actually important information, even in consideration of how we can better develop our car, so that we include those conditions as well.
“But in general I think we see that we gained the time in mid-corner, but every mid-corner is kind of too short.”
Stella did not divulge the exact limitations of the car but detailed how his drivers were losing most of the performance under braking and on the kerbs.
This was apparent from the deltas he saw on pole-sitter George Russell’s Mercedes and Max Verstappen’s RB21 as compared to the MCL39.
“Here is dominated by braking and traction, and with bumps and kerbs we just seem to be suffering a bit,” he added.
“So I think throughout qualifying, and let me say throughout the event, we saw that Mercedes were in condition to put together some very competitive sectors, Max the same.”
“Our drivers were making comments which even themselves resembled the comments of Baku and the comments of Canada. So it’s a regime in which simply we are not the most competitive.”
READ MORE — George Russell storms to F1 Singapore GP pole as McLaren struggles again
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