McLaren 'paid the price' for 'very weird' qualifying change

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has claimed Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris "paid the price" for the sudden change in wind direction between Q2 and Q3 in qualifying at the Hungaroring.

The two drivers will start the Hungarian Grand Prix in second and third on the grid, respectively, after falling victim to the "very weird" conditions on the outskirts of Budapest.

That left the door open for Charles Leclerc to capitalise on their vulnerability, the Ferrari driver pinching his first pole position of the season from under the papaya pairs' noses with a sublime effort in his SF-25.

After the session, Stella admitted the Woking squad had been looking forward to watching its drivers lock-out the front row, an endeavour they ultimately failed in.

"Well, having seen the performance of the car in practice and also in Q1 and Q2, we were certainly looking forward to trying to lock-out the first row on the grid," the Italian told Sky Sport F1.

"But today, the conditions were very weird, very dependent on the wind. There was a change of conditions from Q2 to Q3, and I have to say, we paid a bit of a price."

The 54-year-old explained that Piastri and Norris may have been too "cautious" amid the changed conditions, unable to improve in their superior MCL39s whilst Leclerc did.

"I think our drivers might have also been a bit cautious, because you never knew what kind of grip you would find for each corner, so we went four-tenths slower than Q2, while Leclerc went faster, and he deserved the pole position - well done to Leclerc, and well done to Ferrari," he added.

Why a change in wind direction matter

Stella explained why the flip in wind direction from a tailwind to a headwind was so destabilising, highlighting that drivers cannot see a force that can have a considerable effect on the performance of an F1 car. 

"Formula 1 cars are aerodynamic machines, and having headwind, having tailwind or sidewind, makes so much of an effect in terms of the grip that you experience in a corner, and for the drivers, this is also not visible," he stated.

"So while we give the drivers some references as to the wind direction, on days like today, especially in Q3, it was very gusty and very variable.

"So, it depends a little bit on the amount of risk that you want to take, and then you have to make some adaptations based on how the wind is behaving."