McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has shed light on the weaknesses Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri deal with when driving the MCL60.
A double-points finish in the Australian Grand Prix has moved the squad off the bottom of the constructors’ championship standings with 12 points.
It followed a tough start to the year with Stella and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown admitting the car missed its development targets.
A restructure of the technical department has followed, along with the exit of James Key as technical director.
An ‘aggressive’ upgrade schedule has been developed with parts set to hit the car at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix later this month.
It’s hoped that addresses some of the weaknesses in the McLaren MCL60, which has left Norris to suggest he’s been overdriving it in the opening three races.
“I don’t think Lando is over-driving the car,” Stella countered.
“I think the car is tricky to drive, especially in braking. You always see so much on the limit of front locking or a bit of rear locking.
“This is also related to the fact that the car needs to be pushed in braking to work somehow.
“In trucks like [Albert Park], in cold conditions with the wind, it means that the margin to make a mistake is very, very small.
“The drivers, they need to attack because the underlying performance is not enough to go through sessions if they don’t take this kind of risk.
“So I don’t think I would call it like drivers or overdriving,” he added.
“They are trying to extract as much performance is possible but the car is too difficult to drive and doesn’t have enough underlying performance.
“This is a responsibility that is entirely on the team side.
“We appreciate Lando and Oscar not only trying to do their best while on track, but also having the self-reflective self-critical attitude, but we know that is the team that need to do a better job.”
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