McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team lacked the pace to challenge for the podium in the Canadian Grand Prix even without its tyre strategy and reliability problems. The squad struggled particularly in the cold conditions at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
Stella pointed to multiple issues on race day, including the choice to start on intermediate tyres, a collision involving Oscar Piastri and Alexander Albon, and a gearbox failure that ended Lando Norris's race. These problems prevented a clear evaluation of the team's latest car upgrades.