McLaren boss Andrea Stella has admitted that the team is preparing to experience “a bit of damage encounter” during this weekend’s Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix.
McLaren has continued the momentum it built up last term to sustain an encouraging start to the season to sit as the lead Mercedes-powered team in third position.
However, the Woking-based squad is not enthusiastic about its prospects as F1 returns to China for the first time in five seasons owing to the track’s characteristics.
The Shanghai International Circuit’s combination of winding corners, slow-speed hairpins and a kilometre-long straight is set to expose its MCL38 car’s weaknesses.
“Well, the difficulties in China definitely will be associated with not having been there for a long time,” Stella previewed during the race weekend in Suzuka last time out.
“Difficulties can also be seen from the opportunity side, because everyone will have difficulties, which means you can gain an advantage.
“I think where I’m a little bit more prudent about China is that there’s so much low speed and so many hairpins that definitely should not be the best track for us at this stage of the season.
Stella is hopeful that McLaren’s impending upgrades to its 2024 challenger will ensure it begins to eradicate the slow-speed deficit that continues to plague the team.
“Hopefully we’ll, you know, we won’t be talking too much about car layout at the end of the season,” he continued.
“Once we have developed the car, but for where we are at the moment, hairpins and low speed, they seem to be a place where we lose some time.
“So, I think China may be a bit of a damage limitation for us.
“And then from Miami onward, hopefully we start a kind of, you know, a better stage of this 2024 season and more to come in the second part of the season.”
The Chinese Grand Prix will mark the first Sprint event of 2024, with the revised format’s intervention meaning the teams will be allocated a single hour of practice.
Stella believes the likelihood of the limited track time prior to the defining sessions catching teams out could present opportunities that McLaren must capitalise on.
“Let’s say, ideally, you wouldn’t have had China as a Sprint event,” he said. “Seen from a team point of view, let’s say, you know, like it just adds many complications.
“At the same time, it’s not something that we are in condition to influence. So, just, you know, we get this out of our heads and we focus on doing a good job.
“But considering, like I said before, that we may have some inherent limitations with our car, I’d rather have the others not to have too much practice.
“So, let’s keep it short and then we try to maximise the potential of what you can do in one session.”
McLaren enters the fifth round of the campaign with a 35-point advantage over engine supplier Mercedes, who sit one point clear of Aston Martin in fifth position.
