P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has shared his thoughts on the new F1 pecking order.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella emphasized the difficulty in predicting the competitive balance of the top four Formula 1 teams for the upcoming season, suggesting McLaren’s MCL40 matched Red Bull’s RB22 in pre-season testing but cautioning against definitive conclusions. As the current constructors’ champions, McLaren faces heightened expectations, with efforts focused on narrowing the gap to front-runners Ferrari and Mercedes, alongside Red Bull. Stella highlighted the importance of race pace as a more reliable performance indicator compared to qualifying simulations, a sentiment echoed during evaluations at the Bahrain International Circuit. Despite positive race simulations like Lando Norris’s strong performance, Stella advised caution due to track temperature variations affecting lap times, indicating McLaren and Red Bull are closely matched while Ferrari and Mercedes hold a slight edge heading into the Australian Grand Prix.
