Andrea Stella details where the MCL39 gives up time
Despite leading the way for much of 2025, McLaren’s pace advantage was not as pronounced in Baku — echoing a similar pattern at Monza, where Max Verstappen won for Red Bull in a low-downforce configuration. Team principal Andrea Stella explained that the MCL39’s strengths and weaknesses are highly track-dependent.
According to Stella, the car shines in long and medium-speed corners — think flowing sequences where the chassis can roll and carry speed — but it is less effective under straight-line braking and in sections that demand tight, prescribed trajectories. That profile makes venues like Baku and the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix more challenging.
Stella noted that if you asked which weekends would be the most difficult, he would have picked Baku or Las Vegas. He added that Turn 1 at Zandvoort is a quintessential McLaren corner — a type that is absent in both Baku and Vegas.
Competitive even outside its comfort zone
Even so, McLaren’s engineers have delivered a versatile package. Stella pointed out that the car was fast enough to fight for pole in Baku, underlining the team’s adaptability when operating away from its core strengths.
The bigger picture in the constructors’ race
McLaren could have wrapped up the constructors’ championship in record time with a stronger Azerbaijan haul, but Oscar Piastri’s DNF and Lando Norris’ P7 kept the title fight alive on paper until Singapore. Still, the Woking squad’s form across varied circuits suggests the MCL39 remains the benchmark when the layout suits its high-speed cornering traits.
