‘NOT SURE WE HAD THAT PACE’ – WERE LEWIS HAMILTON AND MAX VERSTAPPEN OUT OF REACH FOR MCLAREN?

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella admits the team likely wouldn't have challenged for a Canadian Grand Prix podium even without their race-day mishaps. Despite a strong qualifying showing and Lando Norris's sprint performance, Stella believes the MCL38 lacked the outright pace on Sunday due to the colder conditions. The car struggled to get front tires up to temperature, leading to lock-ups and a significant dip in performance compared to rivals.

Stella pointed to the car's sensitivity to temperature as the primary issue, asserting that even in a clean race, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen would have been out of reach. This overshadowed strategic errors like Norris's intermediate tire gamble, Oscar Piastri's collision with Albon, and Norris's late gearbox failure. McLaren's chaotic weekend also left them without a clear read on their latest upgrade package. The team must now quickly understand their cold-weather vulnerabilities before future races where conditions could be similarly challenging.