Andrea Stella: It is necessary to return to reality.

      Lando Norris's victory in the sprint in Miami, followed by a double podium for McLaren drivers in that Grand Prix, created the impression that the Woking team had overcome the difficulties that hindered them at the start of the season and would now demonstrate their championship qualities once again.

      However, in Canada, Norris and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, only earned points in the Saturday sprint, while on Sunday the Australian managed to finish the race, albeit outside the points, while Lando retired due to a gearbox failure. In Monaco, he also did not reach the finish line, and Oscar finished in 4th place, which also does not quite meet the expectations of McLaren and its fans.

      Andrea Stella, the team principal, honestly referred to what was happening as a return to reality. However, the drivers initially feared that the MCL40 would not cope well with the street circuit in Monaco, and their concerns were confirmed during qualifying when they only achieved 7th and 8th place.

      “Certainly, after Canada and Monaco, there has been a return to reality, and that is important,” emphasized Stella. “And first and foremost, this reality check is related to the facts: we were not fast enough – this was evident both in Montreal and here.

      Also, our car was not reliable enough, and when it comes to technical issues, we are identifying them in almost all areas. During the race, the power unit that had already been problematic failed – I would say that in terms of reliability, this concerns us the most. However, in Canada, Lando's car had a gearbox failure.

      We understand what these problems are related to and can address them. But of course, when there are so many malfunctions, it can be considered symptomatic, as the MCL40 project is still relatively new. Additionally, I must reiterate what I have already said: we feel that we are in an unfavorable position because McLaren is a customer team. Although this was not the case before.

      I just want to give credit to our power unit supplier, with whom we have a great relationship, which remains so now, and this collaboration is developing successfully. Thanks to this, we have the opportunity to analyze everything in detail and find technical solutions in each specific case.

      But when you don’t know what might happen next time, such work is not enough. The depth of immersion in all the details, the effectiveness of joint meetings, and the information exchange process – all of this also needs analysis. This work is ongoing, but we also need to understand what exactly needs to be improved? After all, in 2026 there are so many innovations that it requires us to elevate our collaboration with the Mercedes engine suppliers to a new level, higher than before.

      These negotiations began several months ago, but, as always in Formula 1, this is still just a preliminary stage. One cannot expect to see any effect the very next day…

      Of course, we still maintain the same mindset we had in 2024 when we were able to recover towards the end of the season. But back then, reliability was better, and we showed more convincing results. Overall, if we want to remain contenders for the championship, we must turn the situation around.”