McLaren have spotted worrying ‘problems’ in their data relating to key car component

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McLaren are on the precipice of winning the Constructors’ Championship for the first time this century.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have both driven brilliantly this season, but it speaks volumes about the expectations on the team now that McLaren are expected to deliver perfection every weekend.

The Italian Grand Prix was a key example of this.

Norris and Piastri locked out the front row of the grid and both finished the race on the podium.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

But neither could win the race and Piastri compromised his teammate’s Grand Prix with an opportunistic overtake on the first lap.

What’s clear is that McLaren have the most well-rounded package on the grid, with the upgrades Ferrari delivered specifically for Monza working well without any guarantee they’ll be as effective at Baku or any other circuit on the calendar.

Speaking on the F1 Strategy Report Podcast, journalist Alex Kalinuackas was talking about McLaren’s development compared to their rivals.

Every update McLaren have added to the car appears to have made them faster, something the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull can’t boast.

However, it’s also made them very wary of trying to do too much with balance so important this year.

It means McLaren’s data has warned them against adding a new floor to the car as the risks outweigh the benefits.

McLaren have seen ‘problems’ with their floor developments in their data

Talking about Red Bull’s recent issues, Kalinauckas said: “A lot of what was contained was within it was that people were seeing things that had been allowed to go awry and weren’t happy with how they were being fixed.

“And because of the lead times that are present in Formula One, we only then saw that manifest itself around the Miami Grand Prix, and they just haven’t been able to pull themselves out of it ever since.

“What they have done is bought big floor upgrades to the car and that seems to have really tripped them up, like with Ferrari, like with Mercedes.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

“And McLaren haven’t done that and it’s interesting with McLaren in that I understand they’ve seen in their data problems with floors they’ve been developing, even though these floors bring a lot of downforce, and therefore a lot of lap time.

“But they’re not willing to add it onto the car because they risk tripping themselves up, as Red Bull have done, and Ferrari and Mercedes have done.

“So I think with Red Bull, there’s that car problem. They can’t get on top of the balance problems that the problem with the floor then induces.”

McLaren’s decision at Monza was criticised by David Coulthard

The most important thing for McLaren now is to make sure they don’t unsettle either driver during the final eight races of the season.

If that means slowing down the development of new parts ahead of 2025 then so be it as their rivals have proven that new doesn’t necessarily mean good.

However, McLaren can still make improvements in their decision-making.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from height and parents to celebration

David Coulthard believes McLaren made a key error in Monza by not swapping Norris and Piastri around at the end of the race.

They appear to be favourites to win the Constructors’ Championship but the drivers’ title is going to be much more difficult to secure.

Norris needs every point he can get and Piastri finishing ahead of him at Monza – and for his maiden Grand Prix win in Hungary – has already cost him 10 points.