The Las Vegas Grand Prix was a difficult weekend for McLaren in 2024, but Team Principal Andrea Stella says the team have taken steps to address the problems ahead of this year’s return.
After a strong second half of 2024 that culminated in McLaren’s first Teams’ Championship since 1998, the papaya cars struggled on the Las Vegas Strip. Mercedes claimed a 1-2, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished sixth and seventh as McLaren lacked race pace.
Stella outlined the key failings: troublesome tyre behaviour in qualifying and the race, with significant graining; aerodynamic shortcomings when attempts were made to offload the rear wing, losing too much efficiency; and setup compromises intended to combat graining and understeer that didn’t pay off.
“The review from Vegas last year gave us a lot of information to try and find a way to improve,” Stella said. He added that McLaren now have clearer direction on changes needed in tyre management, aerodynamic efficiency and car setup compared to last year.
Whether those actions will be enough to return the team to competitiveness in Las Vegas will only be seen at the event, which could be important in the ongoing Drivers’ Championship battle among Norris, Piastri and Max Verstappen. Stella remains hopeful after the work done in response to an unsatisfactory performance in 2024.