The McLaren team manager, Andrea Stella, acknowledged that the new sprint format at the Chinese Grand Prix could result in a challenging weekend for the Woking-based team. Stella, along with Lando Norris, shared their thoughts on the upcoming race. McLaren’s performance in the early stages of the 2024 season has been relatively strong compared to last year’s struggles. Currently, they have a comfortable lead over Mercedes and hold the third position in the constructors’ championship. However, the MCL38 has shown weaknesses in the low-speed sectors this season, which could pose difficulties for the team at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The Chinese Grand Prix is making a comeback after a five-year absence due to COVID-19 restrictions in the country. This means that the ground effect era cars will be used for the first time. Additionally, the new sprint format will allow only one practice session for teams to adjust their setups. Stella expressed concerns about the Shanghai circuit, especially its impact on competitiveness compared to other races. He also highlighted the challenging track conditions, particularly the long low-speed corners, which could further complicate things for the MCL38.
Stella openly acknowledged that this issue has been a recurring problem for McLaren in the past. The team has yet to find a solution. As a result, Stella expects the Chinese Grand Prix to present a more challenging situation compared to previous races this season.
Andrea Stella stated that the Chinese Grand Prix will be a race focused on “damage limitation”. McLaren will aim to recover as many points as possible during this demanding event. However, Stella remains optimistic about the team’s performance in the second half of the season, suggesting that there is room for improvement. The race in Shanghai will provide valuable lessons for McLaren in the future.
Furthermore, Stella anticipates that the new sprint weekend will undoubtedly be a challenging event for the team. He also highlighted the high tire degradation experienced in previous races in China. This suggests that the entire weekend may be a significant change of pace for all teams on the grid, and it will be interesting to see how each team copes with these conditions.
So far, McLaren has not encountered any major development issues. Stella believes that the team will strive to outperform their rivals, aiming to do a slightly better job. However, it seems that McLaren may face difficulties during their first race in Shanghai in five years.
