McLaren’s transfer into the lead of the constructors’ championship is a large milestone for the group, however Andrea Stella doesn’t need it to obtain an excessive amount of consideration.
Purple Bull’s early-season benefit has been persistently diminished since McLaren upgraded its automobile on the Miami Grand Prix, and a primary and fourth locations at Baku lifted the group to the highest of the standings for the primary time in over a decade. It marks a outstanding turnaround from a troublesome begin to final season, however Stella mentioned that whereas the importance needs to be acknowledged, there could be no room for complacency.
“If I have a look at it for a second as a milestone then it’s positively enormous, as a result of we don’t need to neglect at the beginning of 2023 we had been final when began the season and now we lead the classification,” Stella mentioned. “That’s an enormous milestone that has been doable due to the good work, exhausting work and high quality of labor of the entire group, the assist from our shareholders, the assist from our companions, the followers, you obtain this since you obtain it collectively.
“On the similar time – which is my method of going racing, and the best way that I would really like the group to go racing – this second is already over. We don’t have a look at the classification, we simply have a look at executing at each single occasion, delivering the upgrades that we nonetheless plan to take to a number of the future races, as a result of the automobile continues to be not quick sufficient to create some boring races – which isn’t within the curiosity of System 1, however positively the best way that we need to go racing.
“So now we have work to do when it comes to making the automobile sooner and we have to stay humble, preserve our toes on the bottom, as a result of we see that in equity there’s not a lot to choose in any respect between the 4 prime groups.
“I usually hear that McLaren is the perfect automobile, however this isn’t within the numbers. I feel within the numbers McLaren is the perfect automobile at some sorts of circuit, like Barcelona, Hungary, Zandvoort, for good technical causes. However (at Baku) I don’t suppose McLaren loved any benefit over Ferrari, and I feel not even over Purple Bull.
“Even in Monza, Mercedes was within the 0.086 seconds between P2 and P6, so it’s simply very, very balanced. So I feel the execution by the drivers and by the group is what makes the distinction.”
Oscar Piastri received in Baku with Lando Norris fourth, however the latter is forward within the drivers’ championship, and McLaren lately mentioned it is going to again him the place essential to attempt to catch Max Verstappen. Stella mentioned that continues to be the plan, however pointed to Norris’ position in holding up Sergio Perez in Sunday’s race as proof it is going to nonetheless ask each drivers to prioritize the group.
“We’ve got two primary drivers, successfully,” he mentioned. “Having two primary drivers imply we strategy issues to start with within the curiosity of the group. The curiosity of the group is to win the constructors’ championship and in addition the drivers’ championship.
“Lando was in probably the most favorable place. I feel he nonetheless is in probably the most favorable place, so naturally we’d have supported Lando. However I feel now we have proof [from Baku] that really, apparently, it was Lando supporting Oscar and enabling Oscar’s victory because of driving for the group and driving to assist his teammate.
“So that continues to be our strategy and we all the time supposed to assessment after each occasion with every driver, with the drivers collectively, what will be the perfect strategy for the subsequent races. We’ll try this and set the plan for Singapore.”
