Andrea Stella, team principal of McLaren, explained the reasons behind his team’s limited performance at the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix.
For the third time this season, following China and Canada, McLaren failed to score points in Baku. Oscar Piastri, who delivered his best race of the 2026 season, was in position to reach the podium, having held second place for much of the race. However, a mistake in the final laps caused him to run off into the turn 1 escape road, and with the pack bunched up behind the safety car, he dropped out of the top 10 before resuming the race.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris endured a difficult weekend, hampered by a power unit issue that reduced his straight-line speed compared to his teammate. Expected to score some points, he was ultimately taken out by a collision between Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, forcing his retirement and causing him to lose upgraded parts introduced in Baku.
“It was a very frustrating Saturday,” said Andrea Stella. “We experienced problems and errors, but above all, our package showed fundamental limitations on this type of circuit, as we were not fast enough in the corners. Most notably, we lacked straight-line speed, which exposed our drivers to attacks and forced them to focus on their mirrors rather than on making progress.”
Stella praised Oscar Piastri’s performance, who appeared to have overcome difficulties with the 2026 car. “Oscar managed this defensive race very well, very precisely. His race reminded me of 2024 when he held Charles Leclerc behind him for a long time. Unfortunately, after his pit stop and switching to medium tires, which were less effective than the softs, he suffered a wheel lock-up that ended his race. It’s really unfortunate because he deserved to fight for the podium.”
Regarding Lando Norris, Stella acknowledged that the engine problem encountered in qualifying persisted during the race, contributing to his gradual drop back.
