Norris spells out the engine gap McLaren must still close to match Mercedes

The reigning world champion, who qualified sixth just behind his teammate and half a second off pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli, said he was encouraged by the progress made on the power unit side, while stressing that the Mercedes-powered MCL40 is still losing out to the W17 in terms of outright power.

He told GPblog among others: “There are some things we've certainly done better. It's also a much more simple track, so it eliminates half the problems straightaway. But we're still losing the final few runs, a good tenth and a half, just down the back straight. We don't know why. There are some things we still need to try and understand and figure out.”

He finally added: “We've certainly taken a step forward, and the team are doing everything they can to improve. But for a little while, it's been very difficult to be ahead of a Mercedes in this kind of situation. But we're working hard to try and at least be level with them.”

Speaking to GPblog among other media after qualifying, the McLaren team principal pointed out that, at times, mistakes during a lap can actually bring unexpected energy-related benefits.

He explained that when a driver makes an error and is forced to delay the throttle, the car can end up saving energy, which may then be deployed later down the straight and ultimately result in a quicker sector overall.

Stella finally added that the issue ultimately raises a broader question about the very nature of racing, wondering whether F1 should remain faithful to the traditional DNA of the sport or accept situations where counter-intuitive dynamics become part of the competitive landscape. In his view, it is a high-level philosophical debate, one that should involve not only the governing bodies but also the fans and, above all, the drivers themselves.