McLaren Focuses on Pit Stop Improvements to Boost Norris and Piastri

McLaren Focused on Improving Pit Stops

McLaren has focused on pit stops as a crucial area to optimize its performance. Recent incidents, such as slow tire changes, have affected Lando Norris’s performance in the last races. In the Italian Grand Prix, a delayed left front tire change generated a complicated situation with team orders, where Norris lost a position to Oscar Piastri, although he later recovered it. Later, at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a problem when adjusting the nut on the front right wheel caused another slow pit stop, potentially costing Norris two positions and four points in the championship.

“Definitely, in terms of pit stops, that is an area where we have already focused our efforts. In fact, we need to keep working because there is significant performance available through pit stops”.

Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal

Stella highlighted the growing importance of pit stops in the current competitiveness of racing.

Stella also mentioned that work is being done to improve both the execution of the pit stops and the hardware used, with the aim of making the work of the team in the pits easier. The team recognizes the need to optimize equipment and the interaction between operators and tools to improve the efficiency of pit stops. Stella confirmed that the problems in Monza and Baku were different, but both underscored the need for McLaren to raise its game in this respect. The team is focused on making significant improvements in this area for the rest of the season and for next year.