Daily News 19

Tag: Qualifying Performance

  • Andrea Stella: McLaren Must Help Oscar Piastri Stop “Thinking” About Driving ’26 F1 Car

    Andrea Stella: McLaren Must Help Oscar Piastri Stop “Thinking” About Driving ’26 F1 Car

    McLaren’s Stella: Piastri Still “Thinking and Driving” with 2026 F1 Machinery

    McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes Oscar Piastri’s current performance deficit to teammate Lando Norris stems from the Australian driver still “thinking and driving” rather than operating instinctively with the 2026 Formula 1 regulations. The new technical framework has reduced aerodynamic output and introduced narrower tyres, significantly lowering overall grip levels and altering the driving demands compared to previous seasons.

    Piastri’s Strengths Clash with 2026 Car Characteristics

    Over the previous two seasons, Piastri established his strengths in carrying speed through high-speed corners and excelling in high-grip conditions. The 2026 rule changes have stripped away much of that grip, moving the MCL40 outside Piastri’s natural comfort zone. Combined with the charge-and-deploy nature of the new powertrains, this shift has contributed to a challenging campaign for the Melbourne-born driver.

    While Piastri and Norris were closely matched throughout 2025—aside from lower-grip events during the final flyaway races—Norris has held a clear advantage in the current season.

    Stella Targets Qualifying and Car-Driver Harmony

    Stella emphasized that improvement hinges on McLaren helping Piastri stop “thinking” on track, acknowledging that driving the MCL40 does not feel like a natural process for the 23-year-old.

    “I think with Oscar we need to qualify better, stay closer to the podium finish positions from the start,” Stella began. “In Monza he was P3 at the end of qualifying but somehow we managed to start P6 for the impeding. So there are several circumstances of which we need to take more control.
    “We need to execute better and then at the same time we need to get more in tune between Oscar and the MCL40 because still Oscar is driving and thinking. And when you drive and think, things get slowed down; slower as a driver in terms of deciding what to do and ultimately you are slower in terms of lap times.
    “So I think the agenda is very clear as to what we have to improve and I expect, like I always say, that we will get on top of that and we will see a stronger Oscar in the final part [of the year].”

    Front Wing Damage Compromises Piastri’s Race

    Piastri’s race was further complicated by front wing damage sustained in the opening corner after contact with George Russell’s Mercedes. The collision left a diveplane flapping against the endplate, costing measurable aerodynamic balance.

    “The front wing damage cost Oscar a few units of aero balance,” Stella added. “So definitely very measurable.
    “We were actually quite worried that this would have caused a lot of graining because the front end lost a lot of downforce. As a matter of fact, and thankfully, the hard tyres were hard and resistant enough not to open up the graining so Oscar could stay in the race.
    “When it comes to Oscar, I think the race was definitely compromised by not only the damage on the car but having lost further positions at the start. So I think even without the damage, it would have been a difficult race to get more out of the situation in which he found himself.”

    Despite the damage, the hard compound tyre proved durable enough to prevent graining, eliminating the need for a front wing change. Piastri managed a pass on Arvid Lindblad after his pit stop but ultimately finished seventh, trapped behind Franco Colapinto’s Alpine.

  • Why Ferrari Won’t Switch Focus to 2027 F1 Car Yet

    Why Ferrari Won’t Switch Focus to 2027 F1 Car Yet

    Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed the Scuderia will continue developing its SF-26 Formula 1 car despite fading championship prospects following a difficult Spanish Grand Prix.

    Championship deficit grows after Barcelona

    Lewis Hamilton retired from the Madrid race with brake issues, leaving the seven-time world champion 101 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings. Charles Leclerc managed only fourth place, resulting in Ferrari trailing Mercedes by 145 points in the constructors’ championship.

    Resource allocation remains constrained by the cost cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions. On the power unit side, Ferrari has already deployed both of its permitted ADUO upgrades for the season.

    Development focus remains on current car

    While rival teams shift attention toward 2027 regulations, Vasseur insists Ferrari’s immediate priority remains the SF-26.

    “We are not in the situation of 12 months ago,”

    the Frenchman said, referencing F1’s regulatory overhaul for 2026.

    “Today, what we will develop, we will be able to carry it over on next year’s project. We will continue to work, but perhaps on different things, different aspects. The development that we do now, 80% will be carried over.”

    Vasseur refuses to concede title fight

    When asked if Ferrari’s championship challenge was effectively over against Antonelli and Mercedes, Vasseur declined to answer directly.

    “Two or three weeks ago I told you that I will take race by race. I didn’t change,”

    he insisted.

    Qualifying performance identified as key weakness

    The team principal highlighted qualifying pace as the primary area requiring improvement. Since the summer break, neither Hamilton nor Leclerc has qualified on the front row across four sessions, including the Zandvoort sprint. Their average grid position stands at fifth, with the SF-26 trailing pole position by an average of 0.198 seconds — slower than McLaren and Mercedes but quicker than Red Bull.

    “This we need to improve, because I think when you have a look on the pace, during the race the pace is there. For sure we need to do a better job in quali.”

    Vasseur noted a consistent pattern across recent events.

    “If you take Zandvoort and this one, the profile of the event is a little bit the same for us. We had a decent pace in quali, but we didn’t put everything together on the last attempt, and race pace is OK.”

    Focus on qualifying evolution

    The Ferrari boss emphasized the need for better progression through qualifying segments rather than raw single-lap speed.

    “If I have to put the focus of the team on something today, it would be the evolution of the pace during the quali – more than the pace in quali, the evolution, the steps that you can do. We were there on run one Q3, the potential is there, we just have to adapt everything further on.”