Andrea Stella explains how qualifying destroyed McLaren’s Mexico GP: “We paid the price”

Having a podium-capable car means much less if you spend 71 laps hopelessly trapped in dirty air.

That was the reality for McLaren at the Mexico City Grand Prix. A difficult Saturday qualifying session left the Woking garage entirely on the back foot, completely negating the raw race pace of its machinery. Because the thin air at high altitude makes cooling a nightmare and aerodynamically following another car incredibly difficult, track position is king in Mexico.