McLaren was in contention for the race victory at the Italian Grand Prix but missed out on the win to local favourites Ferrari.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has outlined the “good news” and “bad news” he sees in Ferrari's strong uptick in form.
The Italian squad won on home soil last time out at Monza with Charles Leclerc beating Oscar Piastri to the top spot.
Ferrari successfully implemented a one-stop strategy to win the race, triumphing for just the third time this season.
McLaren has consistently been fighting at the front over the last handful of races with Ferrari's new-found form signalling an unpleasant situation for the team.
“I think Ferrari this weekend, they were as competitive as us, at least with Leclerc, which for us, is bad news,” Stella told media including RacingNews365,
“It meant that we couldn't simply cruise in the race, and we needed to deal with them, and they did a good job in exploiting some of their strengths.”
However, Stella highlighted Ferrari's speed offers the chance to take points away from Red Bull in the title fight.
“But at the same time, it’s good news because we have more cars that can take points away from Red Bull.
“So I think this is better news for us, and we need to make sure that we maximise the potential that is available in the car.
"Even if it means that at these kinds of circuits, Ferrari will set a very, very serious challenge for the victory.”
