In the course of the Formula One season that is presently underway, McLaren has seen a startling ascent in the rankings of the championship. Red Bull Racing, the team that now holds the title while also being the reigning champions, has seen a significant decline in performance, which has caused them to struggle to even get on the podium. This is something that has always been accomplished by a Red Bull driver during the course of the previous several seasons. At this very moment, Red Bull is only able to maintain their lead in the constructors title by a mere eight points between them and their competitors.

In this story about McLaren and Red Bull, Ferrari has emerged as an unexpected contender for the Constructors Championship. They are currently in second place, immediately behind McLaren, and there is only a 31-point gap between the Italian team and the British team. 

Read also: F1 2024: Comparative Team-mate Statistics And Their Trends

McLaren Team Principal Believes Ferrari Having In-form Is Both Good And Bad 

Andrea Stella, the principal of the McLaren team, is of the opinion that the fact that Ferrari is regaining its form and fighting for race victories is both beneficial and detrimental to McLaren. This is due to the fact that Ferrari being in good condition will allow a large number of cars to get in between McLaren and Red Bull, which has the effect of providing an advantage to McLaren. Because of this, McLaren will be able to accumulate a greater number of points than Red Bull.

As for the disadvantage, the fact that Ferrari is in good condition will also drive McLaren to compete for race victories. Furthermore, if Ferrari wins a race, it will result in McLaren losing points, which will enhance Ferrari's cause for the Constructors Championship.

Andrea Stella Gives His Opinion

I would like to place a greater emphasis on the competitiveness of the automobile. In terms of the race, I think there may be a misconception that the McLaren was by far the fastest vehicle. “I think Leclerc was as quick as the McLaren, as fast as Oscar in the first stint. Even in the second stint, he was behind the two McLarens and he could keep with the two McLarens. 

I think Ferrari this weekend were as competitive as us, at least with Leclerc, which for us is bad news. It meant we couldn’t simply coast in the race, we have to deal with them, and they did an excellent job exploiting some of the differential.

At the same time, it is excellent news as it means we have more cars that can take points away [from] Red Bull, so I believe actually this is better news for us. 

We need to make sure we utilize the potential that is there in the vehicle, even if it means Ferrari will mount a very strong challenge for victory,” said Andrea Stella further explaining how the Ferrari situation could either be an advantage or a disadvantage for McLaren. 

Read also: Daniel Ricciardo handed ‘slight favourite’ boost by Red Bull Future Liam Lawson