McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes the team wouldn't have challenged Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen for a podium finish in Canada, even without their compounding race day issues. The MCL38 struggled significantly with the cold Montreal conditions, failing to get front tyres up to temperature. Stella noted that despite recent upgrades, the car lacked competitive pace even in free air, with drivers locking up and struggling to make the front end work.
This sensitivity to colder weather made the car less effective than rivals. Oscar Piastri's collision with Alex Albon and Lando Norris's gearbox failure compounded McLaren's woes, but Stella maintained a points finish was the maximum achievable regardless. He admitted the team faced "issues in pretty much all areas of racing." McLaren must understand and mitigate this temperature sensitivity to ensure their upgrades deliver consistent performance across varying conditions, crucial for their championship fight.
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