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Mario Andretti recently admitted that he's as puzzled as anybody else about why McLaren has suffered from a slump in form this season. The Woking-based squad has had a poor season by its standards, which has been exacerbated by the improvements its competitors have made.
Aston Martin, a team that was nowhere close to McLaren last season, is now a frontrunner. Alpine, a team that fought tooth and nail with McLaren for P4 in the championship last season, has also taken a step forward.
McLaren had a horrible outing in Miami with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggling to get close to points-scoring positions. When asked about the reason behind McLaren's struggles this season, Andretti admitted that he doesn't quite understand what has happened to the team. He told PlanetF1:
"I wish I knew, because then I would bottle it and sell it to them! It’s hard to be able to evaluate anything like that. Especially in Miami, I don’t know what in the world happened to them. It seemed like, in first practice while the track was still green and very slippery, they seemed to be somewhat on pace with the rest."
Andretti added:
"But then, as the track picked up grip and all that, the pace really, really, really changed dramatically. All of a sudden, they were not there. I feel for them. But they won’t be down long. I guarantee you that they’re working as hard as it needs to be."
It's up to McLaren now: Mario Andretti
Adding to his point, Andretti said that with drivers like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, McLaren definitely have the talent behind the steering-wheel to turn around its disappointing start to the season.
For the team, the entire focus needs to be on finding where it can improve and then implementing it. He said:
"Lando is capable, no question. I think Oscar Piastri has shown that he definitely belongs there. So there are two young shoes there that want to get it done. And it’s up to McLaren now. Where the improvements need to be, aerodynamic or mechanical, I don’t know."
The Woking-based squad still finds itself P5 in the constructors' standings, level on points with Alpine. However, there is a massive 64-point deficit between McLaren and fourth-placed Ferrari. Having said that, the team will be hoping to get its act together in the coming races.
