McLaren F1 was able to raise its level of play to face Red Bull and win the constructors' championship in 2024. Andrea Stella, the team principal, is very proud of the work accomplished in this regard last year.
“This season has been incredibly helpful in raising our standards, in competing and in continuing our quest in the Championship” Stella said. “And I think I've identified all of these opportunities, because ultimately we're comparing ourselves to what's perfect. So, immediately you find a lot of things that you can improve on.”
The Italian admits that McLaren missed opportunities for good results in 2024 and that it needs to do even better: “We have a strong ambition to compare ourselves, and to accept the discomfort of comparing ourselves to what should be perfect, and if we do that, we are sure to highlight many opportunities.”
“Canada is one. We should have pitted with Lando and due to a communication delay we didn't, and we lost the lead during the safety car. Or at Silverstone, where We could have easily fitted the medium tyres, and where we were on the soft tyres.
But these disappointments strengthened McLaren: “Each time, like our adaptations after Canada, when we missed the decision to bring Lando in, I can see the team functioning in a more robust way.”
On the other hand, Stella does not want to hear satisfaction from his team, who can always do better, even if he welcomes the progress made: “That doesn't mean they are perfect, but that they can win the championship. In my opinion, the only way to stay in this group is to raise the bar.”
“It's something I keep saying internally 'if you think you're good enough now, reality is going to hit you in a painful way'. It's about raising our standards and trying to maintain this upward trajectory. It cannot be flat.”
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