McLaren's Stella Shuts Down Hamilton's Upgrade Theory After Miami

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has firmly rejected Lewis Hamilton's suggestion that the team's Miami upgrade package delivered gains "much more than anticipated." Hamilton made the remark after a difficult weekend, implying Ferrari hadn't seen similar progress. But Stella insists the on-track data aligns perfectly with pre-race simulations.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's theory, if taken at face value, could have fueled a narrative that McLaren made an unexpected performance leap, potentially reshaping championship expectations. Stella's data-driven rebuttal grounds the discussion in reality, showing the margins remain razor-thin — and that Mercedes likely still leads the pack.

The details:

• Stella's response: "Pretty much what we measure in the data is consistent with what we were expecting… we are in line with our expectations." He noted the quantity of new parts was actually less than what Ferrari introduced.
• Hamilton's weekend: The seven-time champion endured contact with Franco Colapinto and a compromised race. He told GPblog: "I heard McLaren brought a step, but that it was worth much more than they anticipated. That's not how we've experienced ours."
• McLaren's performance: Lando Norris won the Sprint and finished second in the main race behind Kimi Antonelli. The upgraded MCL40 continued the positive trajectory from Suzuka.
• Competitive order shifting?: Stella acknowledged that upgrades from several teams had reshuffled the pack. McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull appear closer to Mercedes, but single-lap performance heavily depends on execution. He pointed to the contrast between McLaren's strong Sprint qualifying and less competitive main qualifying as evidence of fine margins.

What's next:

Stella confirmed more components are due in the coming races. While McLaren's upgrades are performing as expected, the competitive picture has evolved. However, he maintained Mercedes still holds a couple of tenths' advantage that was masked during the Sprint weekend. The real test will come at the next round where teams can fully optimize their new packages.