Stella Delivers Blunt Verdict on Mercedes vs McLaren Pace Battle

McLaren looked resurgent in Miami, with Lando Norris dominating the sprint and finishing just three seconds behind race winner Kimi Antonelli. But team principal Andrea Stella poured cold water on claims that McLaren has leapfrogged Mercedes, citing hard data that tells a different story.

Why it matters:

After a rocky start to the 2026 season, McLaren's Miami upgrades brought a visible step forward in traction and drivability. Yet the championship leader Mercedes still holds the benchmark package, and Stella's blunt assessment reveals how tightly contested the development war remains.

The details:

• Stella pointed to high-speed corners (Turns 4-8) where Mercedes consistently gained time on McLaren, exposing aerodynamic efficiency gaps.
• In qualifying, Mercedes had no deployment issues, while McLaren's execution was near-perfect in sprint qualifying to maximize its package.
• Race data showed Antonelli closing the gap at the end of the first stint and pulling away in the final stint, reinforcing Mercedes' superior long-run pace.
• Stella emphasized that when McLaren was slower, its execution was flawless; Mercedes simply had more potential in reserve.

What's next:

• Mercedes is preparing a major upgrade package for Canada, while McLaren continues evolving the MCL40 aggressively.
• Miami likely marked the opening salvo in an arms race, not a power shift. Stella's warning: Mercedes may still have untapped pace left to deploy.

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