Stella Believes Rivals Have Closed the Gap as McLaren Secure Miami Double Podium
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella suggested that the Papaya team, among several others, have successfully narrowed the margin to Mercedes following the Miami Grand Prix. Despite Kimi Antonelli claiming a dominant win, the Italian head warned that “execution” is now the deciding factor on the grid. This comes after a strategy mistake caused Lando Norris to lose his lead to Antonelli during the race.
McLaren have made substantial gains since the five-week break, rebounding from a difficult early season that saw both cars fail to start in Shanghai due to separate power unit failures. Building on the momentum of Oscar Piastri’s podium in Suzuka, McLaren achieved a one-two finish in the Miami Sprint and followed that performance with a double podium in the main event.
Speaking after the race, Stella noted that Ferrari and Red Bull have also moved closer to Mercedes, who have maintained a perfect winning streak across the first four races. Significant technical updates played a role in the shift, with McLaren and Red Bull each bringing seven upgrades to Florida, while Ferrari introduced eleven.
