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Andrea Stella details McLaren's struggles in Mexico GP qualifying

Motorsport.com • 1 min read • Latest: Nov 3, 2026, 11:50 PM

Last updated Nov 3, 2026

Andrea Stella details McLaren's struggles in Mexico GP qualifying

Summary

At the Mexico City Grand Prix, Andrea Stella of McLaren explained that the team's qualifying efforts severely impacted their race performance. Spending 71 laps in dirty air, the squad could not leverage the raw race pace of their car due to a challenging Saturday qualifying session. The altitude affected cooling and aerodynamics, adding further complexity to their race strategy. Looking forward, McLaren aims to address these issues in upcoming events to improve competitiveness.

Source Links

Motorsport.com

Key Details

•Andrea Stella addressed qualifying issues impacting race performance.
•McLaren struggled in dirty air throughout the race.
•The team spent 71 laps unable to capitalize on pace.
•High altitude created cooling and aerodynamic challenges.
•Future races will focus on improving qualifying results.

Latest Updates

11:50 PMMotorsport.com — Andrea Stella explains how qualifying destroyed McLaren’s Mexico GP: “We paid the price”

What they're saying

"
Having a podium-capable car means much less if you spend 71 laps hopelessly trapped in dirty air. That was the reality for McLaren at the Mexico City Grand Prix. A difficult Saturday qualifying session left the Woking garage entirely on the back foot, completely negating the raw race pace of its machinery. Because the thin air at high altitude makes cooling a nightmare and aerodynamically ...Keep reading
— Motorsport.com

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