23/07/2025 06:30
McLaren boss Andrea Stella has explained a major problem it is
facing with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris running different
specifications of the MCL39. In Canada, a new front suspension was
introduced, which only Norris is using, as Piastri has been content
to remain faithful to the old design from the start of the season.
Since the new parts were delivered, Norris has won two races in
Austria and Britain to reduce Piastri's lead to just eight points
in the drivers' standings at the halfway stage of the season.
Norris had struggled with the feeling from the front axle in the
first quarter of the campaign when Piastri won four of the first
six races, but believes the difference in front suspension has been
overblown. Piastri believes that the new parts are not an upgrade,
but "just different". Addressing the unusual split between his
drivers, team principal Stella explained the problem McLaren was
facing as a result. "The different front suspension set-up does
not complicate the way we look at the data, the way we compare how
well the cars are doing from a performance or a driving performance
point of view," Stella told the media, including RacingNews365.
"That is not a problem in itself, and if anything, it is more of a
problem from a parts point of view because we need to have
different specifications that we carry with us. "We are discussing
whether some of the options adopted by Lando might be interesting
for Oscar in the future, but this will be evaluated. "But for the
moment, the most important news for us is that we seem to have
found a better feeling for Lando with the front axle, and some of
the comments which were made at the start of the season seem to
have gone away, and Lando is more comfortable. This is really good
news. "For Oscar, he has always been in a good space in terms of
his relationship with the car, and there is a chance that these
differences will persist for the remainder of the season."
