Jul.6 (GMM) McLaren boss Andrea Stella has admitted the reigning constructors’ champions are seeking answers from Mercedes after discovering the works team appears to be extracting more performance from its Formula 1 engine.
The issue surfaced at Silverstone, where it emerged works Mercedes drivers have been using an unexpected throttle-lift technique on the straights that McLaren says came as a surprise.
“We were a bit surprised, because it’s not something we’ve discussed, and in fact, I’m not even sure it’s available to us,” Stella told reporters.
“It probably requires some additional elements, let’s say, to use the power unit like that.”
Earlier this season, Stella suggested McLaren had been disadvantaged for the first time as a Mercedes customer in the new regulations, although the engine manufacturer sought to reassure the Woking-based team.
Now, Stella says further discussions are taking place with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains.
“As I’ve already said, we’re in discussions with HPP at a technical level to ensure we’re utilising the full potential of this power unit, which is brilliant, a true technological marvel,” he said.
“It has great performance potential, which also lies in the details of its operation. When we analyse the performance on the straights, even taking into account that they may have less aerodynamic drag, there are still some unknowns.”
Stella also revealed McLaren has yet to receive Mercedes’ latest engine specification. “We spoke with HPP about why we haven’t received this specification yet.
“We understand their reasoning. We trust HPP. We’ve had an excellent collaboration in previous years.
“They’ve been instrumental in us becoming back-to-back world champions.
“So this doesn’t change the foundation of our relationship.”
Mercedes says the update is reliability-related, with Stella hoping McLaren will receive it before the next race at Spa.
The concerns come amid an increasingly difficult campaign for McLaren, with world champion Lando Norris admitting the team’s problems extend well beyond Silverstone.
“We’ve been slow all year. We’re still slow,” he said.
Norris believes rivals Mercedes and Ferrari have simply developed their cars more effectively.
“They’ve brought many improvements, and we haven’t incorporated anything that has given us a significant performance boost,” he said.
“Honestly, the car was undrivable,” Norris added after the British GP.
The Briton concluded with a blunt assessment of the MCL40.
“It’s perhaps one of the most difficult cars I’ve ever driven in Formula 1.”