McLaren eye fresh upgrades despite downplaying advantage

McLaren have found themself just 42 points behind Red Bull in the 2024 constructors' championship, with the team hoping to claim their first title since 1998.

Throughout the second half of the season, McLaren could benefit from increased testing time under Formula 1's Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions (ATR). This was a direct result of Red Bull's lead in the standings at the midway point of the season, which has reduced their own testing opportunities.

McLaren, in contrast, are set to have more time to refine and develop their car, potentially gaining an edge in the title race. However, Stella was cautious in managing expectations.

"In terms of the ATR, I am not so sure of the potential impact," Stella said. "Red Bull has taken trackside more developments in terms of physical parts than what we have done so far.

"But for McLaren, we seem to be in a position to cash in on some developments that we've been working on in the background."

Stella's comments have suggested that while McLaren hasn't introduced many new parts to the car since their significant upgrade in Miami, more are on the way. He has expressed surprise at their competitiveness given the lack of recent upgrades but remains optimistic about the second half of the season.

"I would expect that for the second part of the season, we will have multiple upgrades," Stella added. "It means that the Miami upgrade was big, but there's more to come in the second part of the season."

Despite the MCL38 being regarded as one of the fastest cars on the grid, McLaren have been cautious about embracing that label. Driver Oscar Piastri was among those downplaying the notion, attributing their strong performances to track-specific conditions rather than outright superiority.

"We definitely still have some different characteristics compared to Red Bull," Piastri explained. "In my opinion, Budapest is the only weekend where you can clearly say we were fastest.

"Even then, if Max had cleared the traffic sooner, he could have posed a serious threat."

Piastri has also pointed out that Mercedes and Ferrari have shown strong performances at various tracks throughout the season, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the competition. "It's been incredibly tight, and we've made some mistakes along the way," he admitted.

As the Formula 1 season prepares to resume after the summer break, all eyes will be on McLaren and their upcoming upgrades, with the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on August 25 marking the next chapter in the title race.