McLaren might ‘struggle to get out of Q1’ according to new boss Andrea Stella

McLaren F1 team principal Andrea Stella mentioned that the British team might struggle to get out of Q1 come the first race of the season next week.

It has been a difficult pre-season test for the team in the first two days as they have been limited in their running due to encountering several issues. It is possible that McLaren might have slipped into the lower middle after battling for P4 for the past four seasons.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, Stella said:

"I think we will see again that the midfield is very compact. And this means that if you don't do a good enough job, even in setting up and maximizing what you have, you may struggle to get out of Q1. At the same time, you might be a Q3 contender."

"So I think the fork is relatively open, it is relatively wide. I think when I'm talking about competitiveness, I would say our objective through the season is to be a top-four car. At the moment, I would say we are not necessarily in this range."

"Our performance is pretty much where I expected it to be" - McLaren F1 team boss

Andrea Stella stated that the team's performance during the first two days has been along the line with their expectations. He commented that despite facing some problems, there have been no surprises for them as the data has correlated with their expectations.

Stella said:

"I think based on what I've seen in these two days, our performance is pretty much where I expected it to be. No surprises. The data correlates with what we were expecting from an aerodynamic point of view. Even performance-wise, for whatever is possible to assess based on lap times in tests, where we know that lap times can depend on fuel level engine modes, and conditions."

"We know we have work to do. But if we think about the season, it is long and there can be variations in the competitive order. And as I said already at the car launch, we know there's a good development rate. That's where we are focusing. So I think the start will have to be realistic. But in terms of looking ahead to the season, we remain optimistic."

It will be fascinating to see if McLaren can bounce back on the final day of the pre-season and make a jump in terms of performance ahead of the first race.