McLaren technical issues require fundamental changes by 2027
Andrea Stella admits McLaren cannot fix car handling characteristics without fundamental changes arriving in 2027. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggle with a car described as being on a knife edge, requiring intense mental concentration to maintain competitiveness.
Stella says technical fix will take time
Andrea Stella says McLaren cannot improve its car handling characteristics without fundamental changes that will not be possible until 2027. Adding more downforce in upcoming races will not solve the problem, as the team must address a deeper technical aspect with the 2027 MCL41. This issue has hampered progress against rivals all season. Drivers had to adapt to the V6 turbo hybrids with increased electrical power, but the handling difficulties remain. I find the team’s admission that they cannot fix the car this year a massive setback.
Drivers struggle with intense driving requirements
Lando Norris says the car is "on a knife edge on every single corner," meaning he must force the car in every way because he cannot let the front or the rear do any work on its own. He says the driving is mentally draining because it makes it impossible to put qualifying laps together. You know how much concentration this demands. Oscar Piastri found the requirements harder because his natural driving style is much smoother and gentler. The intensity required to deliver lap time is much higher than last year, which Stella says caused Piastri to lose competitiveness compared to Norris. Piastri had to learn to force the car to do things and abandon the clean, repeatable driving style that was his signature. How will this lack of a technical solution affect Piastri’s ability to stay close to Norris?
