McLaren's Andrea Stella reflects on Dutch Grand Prix disappointment

Despite Lando Norris's commanding victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, Stella felt the race highlighted a lost chance to make further headway in the constructors' standings.

Norris clinched the win at Zandvoort with an impressive margin of 22.9 seconds—the largest of the season. However, it was not a flawless day for McLaren.

His teammate, Oscar Piastri, began the race in third position but quickly found himself overtaken by Mercedes' George Russell at the start.

Although Piastri reclaimed the position initially, he was subsequently undercut by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc during the pit stops and finished in fourth place.

Leclerc's staunch defence of third place prevented Piastri from challenging Max Verstappen for second.

Stella admitted his frustration, noting the missed opportunity to gain more ground on Red Bull, who currently lead McLaren by 30 points heading into the Italian Grand Prix.

"The end result, it did cost us," Stella told the media. "I believe if Oscar had not lost the position to Russell, the race could have turned out differently. Oscar had the pace to beat Max.

"It's a significant missed opportunity."

Stella highlighted that McLaren's ongoing issue with poor starts has been a recurring problem.

Norris, who started from pole position, also struggled off the line, a problem that has plagued McLaren in recent races. "The start is a fundamental aspect of racing, as crucial as car performance," Stella asserted.

"We need to carefully analyse why we are losing ground at the start compared to our competitors."

As the Formula 1 circus heads to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix on September 1, Stella and his team will be focusing on rectifying their starting issues.

Monza, known as the "cathedral of speed," is the fastest circuit on the calendar and a crucial venue for the championship battle.