Sports · Motorsport · 4 hrs ago
McLaren says major car-handling fix will have to wait until 2027
McLaren cannot fully fix its car’s handling until 2027, team principal Andrea Stella says.
The issue has affected the team throughout the season as drivers adapt to a new generation of Formula 1 cars and engines.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have had to work hard to control the car, with Piastri appearing to struggle more because his natural driving style is smoother.
Norris has said the car feels difficult to balance and requires intense effort in every corner.
The handling problem has held back McLaren’s progress against its leading rivals.
Stella says upcoming changes, including adding downforce, will not solve the underlying issue.
A more fundamental redesign is expected with McLaren’s 2027 car, the MCL41.
McLaren says it cannot fully address its Formula 1 car-handling problem until it makes fundamental technical changes for 2027.
Team principal Andrea Stella said upgrades planned for the coming races, including adding downforce, will not fix the handling characteristic.
The issue has affected McLaren throughout the season and has made the car demanding to drive.
Lando Norris said he has to force the car through corners, while Stella said Oscar Piastri has found the driving intensity harder to adapt to.
- Who
- McLaren, whose team principal is Andrea Stella.
- What
- The team says it cannot fully fix its car-handling problem without fundamental changes.
- When
- The fix will have to wait until 2027.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Stella said the problem requires fundamental technical changes, not just added downforce.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
McLaren has been dealing with a car-handling issue that has affected its progress.
Norris described the effort required to make the car do what he wants.
McLaren expects to address the problem with fundamental changes to an all-new car, the MCL41.
- Team principal
- Andrea Stella
- Drivers
- Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
- Planned fix
- Fundamental changes to the MCL41
- Target year
- 2027
- Near-term upgrade
- Adding downforce in the coming races
What people are saying
I don't expect that what's coming to the car will improve this characteristic.
The fact that the car needs quite a lot of effort to deliver lap time, and it requires a level of intensity in the driving input, which is much superior to last year, this is something that took some time for the drivers to understand
It's [the car] just on a knife edge on every single corner
Sources
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