Can McLaren Turn Their Las Vegas F1 Misfortunes Around?
McLaren’s Formula 1 team is determined to leave their disappointing Las Vegas Grand Prix performance in the past. Team boss Andrea Stella reveals they’ve taken steps to address their weaknesses, but will it be enough to compete with the top teams?
Last season, McLaren finished a distant sixth and seventh on the Las Vegas Strip street circuit. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri trailed behind Mercedes’ George Russell by a significant margin, and even Ferrari and Max Verstappen outperformed them. The low-downforce nature of the track exposed McLaren’s lack of aerodynamic efficiency, and the cold desert conditions didn’t help their cause either.
“Vegas last year was a real challenge,” Stella admits. “We struggled with tire behavior in qualifying and the race. The low-drag rear wing didn’t work as intended, and we had issues with the car’s setup, especially with graining and understeer.”
Stella believes they’ve learned from their mistakes and taken action, but the unique characteristics of the Las Vegas circuit don’t play to McLaren’s strengths. The lack of long, fast corners and chilly weather mean McLaren’s innovative cooling system won’t provide the same advantage as in hotter races.
“The review from last year’s race gave us valuable insights,” Stella explains. “We’ve made changes to our approach regarding tire management, aerodynamic efficiency, and car setup. Whether these changes will make us competitive remains to be seen.”
Mercedes and Ferrari are expected to be strong contenders again in Vegas, so McLaren faces an uphill battle. Lando Norris, the championship leader, remains cautiously optimistic about his chances of achieving a hat-trick of wins.
“Last year’s Vegas race was our toughest. We know Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari were incredibly strong there. We were at the bottom of that pack. But we’ve made significant improvements this year, so I’m staying positive.”
Will McLaren’s actions be enough to overcome their Las Vegas GP weakness? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: the team is determined to give it their all and prove their worth on the Las Vegas Strip.
What do you think? Can McLaren turn their fortunes around in Vegas? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!