McLaren's Stella Dismisses Hamilton's Claim on Upgrade Performance

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has firmly rejected Lewis Hamilton's suggestion that the Woking squad extracted more performance from their Miami upgrade package than anticipated. Stella insisted the data aligns with pre-race projections, despite Hamilton's claim that the upgrades delivered a surprise gain.

Why it matters:

The exchange highlights the intense scrutiny around upgrade performance in a tight season. Hamilton's comment risked creating a narrative of unexpected advantage—one Stella swiftly dispelled. For McLaren, controlling the story around their development pace is key to managing rival expectations and team morale.

The details:

• Hamilton's claim: During the Miami GP weekend, Hamilton stated he heard McLaren's upgrade was worth "much more than they anticipated."
• Stella's rebuttal: "I would like to say yes, but the answer is no... what we measure in the data is consistent with what we were expecting from the development tools."
• Upgrade scale: McLaren brought several new components but fewer than Ferrari's 11 major pieces. Stella confirmed more parts are planned for upcoming races.
• On-track result: Lando Norris dominated the Sprint and lost the grand prix only due to a strategic undercut by Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli—showing strong base pace.
• Hamilton's weekend: The Ferrari driver finished sixth after first-lap contact with Franco Colapinto damaged his car, limiting his ability to gauge relative performance.

What's next:

Stella indicated McLaren's development plan remains on schedule. Further upgrades will arrive in the coming races as the team aims to sustain its front-running form. Rivals Ferrari and Mercedes continue their own upgrade pushes, setting up a tight development battle through the early European rounds.