McLaren’s latest Formula 1 vehicle, the MCL39, has been raising eyebrows in pre-season testing due to its reported rear-end instability. Despite this, the team has shown no signs of worry, and has clarified that the characteristics of the Bahrain circuit played a significant part in the car’s performance.
Lando Norris, a driver for the Woking-based team, gave a standout performance during a race simulation on the second day of testing. His lap times clocked in at over half a second faster than his Ferrari and Mercedes competitors in a similar race run over three sessions. That said, Norris did concede that the MCL39 demonstrated some instability in the rear axle during cornering.
Reacting to these observations, McLaren’s team boss, Andrea Stella, downplayed the concerns. He noted that the Bahrain circuit’s rear-limited nature likely amplified the sliding Norris encountered.
“Lando’s comments on the rear instability are fair,” Stella admitted to Motorsport Week and other media outlets. “However, given the nature of the Bahrain circuit, I’d be astounded if there wasn’t any rear-end or traction limitation. These limitations are inherent to this particular circuit.”
Stella also addressed the MCL39’s perceived issues during pre-season testing. He stated that while McLaren has managed to make the MCL39 more predictable, it’s unrealistic to expect to completely eliminate nervousness with the current generation of cars.
“We’ve improved the car from that point of view,” Stella said. “However, it’s impossible to fully remove these kinds of problems. The only significant change I’ve seen was when we added the exhaust effect, which dramatically altered the vehicle’s aerodynamic behaviour.”
Despite the limitations imposed by regulations, Stella emphasized the need to continually reduce these limitations.
In addition to addressing the rear-end instability, McLaren is also focusing on enhancing the car’s front-end responsiveness during cornering.
Laughing at Norris’ feedback about the car, Stella confirmed: “Yes, the rear-end is sliding! This was one of the first things he said, not only after getting out of the car, but also during his stints.”
Stella admitted that tyre degradation was a key factor in this, but maintained that it was unsurprising given the circumstances in Bahrain.
“We’re not just trying to improve rear grip for stability in entry and traction, but also the car’s mid-corner front-end behaviour,” Stella added. “We’ve been working on these three attributes for a couple of years now, and as we enter the third season, we’re still striving to mitigate these limitations, which are inherent to a Formula 1 car and particularly a track with this kind of layout.”
Despite the MCL39’s rear-end instability, McLaren remains unfazed, focusing instead on continuous improvements within the regulations’ constraints. This commitment to improvement, coupled with their standout performance in pre-season testing, indicates that McLaren may well be a team to watch in the 2025 Formula 1 season.