Stella hints at major "Hungaroring upgrade" after McLaren were only “fourth fastest” at Silverstone

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella conceded that his team were only the fourth-fastest outfit at the British Grand Prix, despite leaving Silverstone with a solid haul of points after Lando Norris finished fourth and Oscar Piastri endured a race-ending first-lap incident.

It was a mixed afternoon for McLaren, who lacked the outright pace to fight at the front but still capitalised on reliability issues and mistakes from rivals to secure a respectable result.

Norris recovered from losing a place at the start to deliver a consistent drive in the midfield battle, spending much of the race fighting Isack Hadjar before eventually inheriting positions late on as other drivers encountered problems.

While he was unable to fight the podium contenders on raw pace, a well-timed strategy call allowed him to maximise his result. Piastri’s race, meanwhile, was effectively compromised on the opening lap. Contact with Liam Lawson broke his front wing, forcing him to stay out for an additional lap before pitting for a replacement.

The damage and subsequent stop dropped him to the back of the field, leaving him unable to recover into the points despite showing stronger pace in clean air later in the race.

Reflecting on the weekend, Stella praised the team’s execution but acknowledged that McLaren’s underlying performance deficit remains a key concern.

“Today’s Grand Prix is a welcome result with good points overall for the team, but we are under no illusions about where we stand," he said.

“We were the fourth-fastest car out there, and we benefited from the misfortune of others. Therefore, today’s result was a mixed bag for the team."

Despite the limitations, Stella highlighted Norris’s performance and the strategy call that helped secure fourth place.

“We are pleased to come away with a fourth-place finish for Lando, which is beyond what we felt we deserved on pure pace. The strategy team did an excellent job though with the late stop, and Lando drove well to capitalise on the opportunities that arose during the race."

Stella also addressed Piastri’s early exit from contention, noting that the Australian had no realistic chance to recover after the first-lap contact.

“Unfortunately, Oscar’s race was ruined on the first lap after being involved in an accident that damaged his front wing, preventing him from scoring any points."

Looking ahead, the McLaren boss stressed that improving car performance remains the team’s top priority as the midfield fight tightens and top teams continue to set the benchmark.

“The clearest takeaway from this weekend is that we must improve the performance of the car. We have a consistent gap to the front-runners that we need to close if we are to be in contention for podiums and wins, which is our ultimate goal."

Stella confirmed that upgrades are already in development, with the team targeting a step forward at the next major milestone in the season.

“We have some major upgrades planned for Hungary, and until then, the entire team trackside and at the factory must continue to work hard and maximise every opportunity."