McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says that he will caution his drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to exercise restraint through the opening lap of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, warning that the fight for victory will not be won in the first few corners.
With both McLaren drivers starting from the front row, with Norris on pole, Stella has reason to feel confident. But the memory of Spa’s unforgiving first sector, particularly through Raidillon and the Les Combes chicane, looms large.
As rain threatens to shake up the race and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc lurking just behind in third, the McLaren boss is calling for cool heads in what could be a chaotic start.
“Certainly what I will tell the drivers is that lap 1 is just lap 1 of 44, and when you have such a good competitive car, you just have to make sure that we minimise the trouble during lap 1,” Stella told reporters after qualifying.
“And then if we execute the race in the best possible way, I think we will be in condition to regain the possibility to win the race, even if lap 1 doesn't go according to the outcome of qualifying.”
Slipstream Chess and Ferrari’s Threat
While Norris and Piastri avoided drama in Saturday’s sprint, yielding early ground to Max Verstappen and Leclerc through Eau Rouge and the Kemmel Straight, Sunday’s event presents a different tactical challenge – especially with potentially treacherous conditions on the cards.
“I think both drivers will try, first of all, to have the fastest run through corner one,” Stella explained.
“I guess positioning for the one that will be in P2, positioning the car in order to be able to take the slipstream, will be potentially a decisive factor.”
Yet even careful planning may not shield McLaren from the raw power of Leclerc’s Ferrari on the straights, a vulnerability the team is acutely aware of.
“At the same time, while you look ahead, you will have to look a little bit behind, because Ferrari has a significant speed advantage, so I wouldn't be surprised if Leclerc is actually leading the group at the end of lap 1.
“Leclerc behind us seems to be on a low-downforce setting again. So we know that we will be exposed for the first lap, but Lando has proven today that then if you have enough of a pace advantage, like we had on Ferrari, then it may be possible to overtake – like it happened today with Lando overtaking [Leclerc, on lap 4].”
Weather Uncertainty Adds Further Risk
The Spa weather remains as unpredictable as ever. Rain was expected through Sunday morning, and although conditions are expected to improve by the race start, forecasts still indicate a 40–80% chance of precipitation.
McLaren has responded accordingly, increasing rear downforce on both of its cars; therefore sacrificing some top speed to gain stability should the track turn slippery.
Stella acknowledged that these changes, while beneficial in the wet, could complicate matters if conditions dry and rivals like Leclerc maintain straight-line superiority.
“Based on the weather forecast, this is not necessarily going to happen in dry conditions, so if it's wet it will be even more interesting, because Eau Rouge may not be easy flat, like it is nowadays on lap 1 in a Formula 1 car,” the Italian said.
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Despite the threat from Leclerc and Verstappen – who starts from fourth after a scrappy qualifying – Stella remains confident in the pace of the MCL60 and in the discipline of his team’s young driver pairing.
Still, the message is clear: in a race as long and potentially volatile as Spa, McLaren’s best weapon might not be outright speed – but restraint, at the start.
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