McLaren

Stella concedes upgrades 'will NOT be enough' as McLaren woes continue

Harry Smith Wednesday 22 March 2023 16:50

Stella concedes upgrades 'will NOT be enough' as McLaren woes continue

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has issued a worrying update on the outfit's upgrade plans.

The Woking-based team has endured a tough start to the F1 season, failing to score points in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Stella, who was promoted to replace Andreas Seidl over the winter, will be feeling the pressure, especially given the mounting speculation surrounding Lando Norris' long-term future with McLaren.

'We want to have a top-four car'

Speaking in the wake of another disappointing weekend Stella said: "When it comes to the car's weaknesses, we're talking about aerodynamic efficiency.

"But that doesn't mean the car creates too much drag. It's just the downforce-to-drag ratio, which isn't as great as we thought it would be.

"That's the biggest weakness."

Oscar Piastri's McLaren locks up at Turn 10 in Bahrain

Confirming that McLaren's expected upgrade package would arrive on time

Stella added that the major upgrade package would indeed be arriving in time for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but downplayed its potential impact.

"If we look at the upgrade for Baku then the numbers look promising. Hopefully, we can get fifth place with it.

"But it is not enough to reach our goals for the season because we want to have a top-four car."

Latest News

Latest F1 News

Ferrari announce Leclerc replacement for upcoming grand prix

17 minutes ago

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen summoned to Red Bull HQ amid driver transfer chaos

1 hour ago

Red Bull

Christian Horner doubts over Yuki Tsunoda revealed

2 hours ago

F1 Today

F1 News Today: Verstappen UNHAPPY at Red Bull as Mercedes prepare to offer contract

3 hours ago

GPFans Recap

Hamilton labelled ‘demanding’ as stunning Ferrari disqualification warning issued - F1 Recap

Yesterday 23:55

F1 Social

The only way Liam Lawson will appear for Red Bull in Japan revealed

Yesterday 22:53

More news

F1 Race Calendar 2025

GP AUSTRALIA 14 - 14 Mar

GP BAHRAIN 11 - 11 Apr

GP SAUDI ARABIA 18 - 18 Apr

GP USA 2 - 2 May

GP ITALY 16 - 16 May

GP MONACO 23 - 23 May

Complete kalender 2025

F1 News 24/7

Races

About GPFans

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.

Follow us on your favorite social media channel

Corporate & Media

Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTRY