Andrea Stella: US GP Heat Could Be McLaren's Edge Against Verstappen

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes the intense Texas heat at the US Grand Prix could provide his squad with an advantage over Max Verstappen and Red Bull, despite Verstappen securing sprint pole. While Red Bull's resurgence is clear, Stella is confident in McLaren's tire management capabilities in demanding conditions.

Why it matters:

• After a period of inconsistent performance on certain circuits, McLaren's ability to stabilize its car's competitiveness at COTA is a significant positive.
• The hot conditions could introduce higher tire degradation, potentially shaking up the competitive order and creating a more unpredictable race, which favors McLaren's strong tire management.

The details:

• Max Verstappen narrowly beat Lando Norris to sprint pole by just 0.071s in the final qualifying segment, with Oscar Piastri in third.
• Norris had led Verstappen in the first two segments on medium tires, indicating strong underlying pace for McLaren.
• Red Bull's Form: Stella acknowledges that Red Bull has "definitely improved their car" and can now "fight for victories and pole position on every kind of circuit."
• McLaren's Performance: The team principal noted the car's competitiveness at COTA, a welcome change after struggling at some recent venues.
• Tire Degradation: With ambient temperatures above 30C and track temperatures exceeding 40C, Stella expects "more tire degradation" compared to recent races, which were often processional due to low degradation.
  • McLaren's cars typically perform well in high-degradation scenarios, which could be a key factor in challenging Verstappen.

Between the lines:

While Verstappen's pole reaffirmed Red Bull's strong form, Norris was not overly disheartened, acknowledging Red Bull's recent pace advantage in qualifying. He expressed greater optimism for the race, where McLaren's race pace generally shines. Piastri, however, was critical of his own "scruffy lap" that cost him time in the first sector, despite the car's underlying speed.

What's next:

• The sprint race on Saturday will be a crucial test of McLaren's tire degradation theory and their ability to convert strong race pace into results.
• Both Norris and Piastri will be looking to maximize their performance in the main Grand Prix, aiming to capitalize on any advantage the high temperatures and tire wear might offer against the dominant Red Bull.
• The Austin weekend will provide further insight into whether McLaren has truly stabilized its performance across a wider range of circuits and if they can consistently challenge for wins.