(Motorsport-Total.com) – McLaren made an impressive comeback in Miami: After Lando Norris had already won the sprint on Saturday, the Grand Prix victory on Sunday also did not seem impossible. In the end, the timing of his pit stop probably prevented the current world champion’s first win of the season.
Read more Zak Brown: Formula 1 is «24 Super Bowls» for fans
Nevertheless, it seems as if the traditional team from Woking could now mix again in the world championship fight against Mercedes and Ferrari. But team principal Andrea Stella remains cautious: “I think if we start thinking about the championships at the end of the season now, we have to be a bit careful.”
“We are only at the fourth race, have just implemented our first upgrade, are racing in Miami, and McLaren has traditionally performed very well there,” the Italian recalls. “It could be that our way of vehicle development fits well to this track.”
“So we still have to wait,” says Stella, “but at the same time, because it is only the fourth race and we have already collected a good amount of points compared to Mercedes and know that we can further develop our car, we said before Miami that the championship is not decided yet.”
“Therefore, it is our logic to think long-term and defend the championship. But as soon as we say that, we return to the present and do the right thing today, because it doesn’t help much to think so far ahead. But of course, we want to defend the championship.”
Why Kimi Antonelli is currently the world championship favorite
If it comes to that, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri would probably have to assert themselves mainly against Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who has already celebrated three wins in the first four races and leads the world championship table with a 20-point lead.
“I think we should really appreciate Kimi’s driving quality, his consistency, his speed – both in individual laps and in the race – and his overall performance,” admits McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. “We should acknowledge Kimi for his performance; he delivers on the track.”
Read more Lewis Hamilton demands more rule power for Formula 1 drivers
“After the tests, I would have said that George Russell was in a stronger position, which was also the case until Australia, but for some reason, the tide has turned. And I think that is once again Kimi’s merit, the good work with his engineers and his environment.”
“There is always a team around the driver, and success arises from this synergy,” adds the experienced team principal, who has worked with many talents in his career. “I think Kimi found all these prerequisites. Congratulations to Kimi, congratulations to Mercedes.”
Stella believes: McLaren has the strongest driver duo
“At the same time, we have seen at McLaren that Oscar was able to fight for the win again and achieve a podium place in Japan with a car that was not yet competitive,” Stella recalls. “Oscar confirms a podium place here, and Lando wins the sprint here and fights for the win.”
“So if we look especially at the constructors’ championship, I think from a driver’s perspective we are probably the strongest duo,” the McLaren team principal believes, especially still aiming to win the third consecutive constructors’ title.
“We want to use this strength that we have at McLaren,” Stella issues a clear challenge to the Silver Arrows, but also knows the conditions that still need to be met for a title defense: “We still have to make the car a bit faster.”
Read more Toto Wolff admits: Mercedes’ poor start is «not acceptable»