McLaren has had to adjust the development strategy for the 2026 F1 car. Team principal Andrea Stella confirmed after the British GP that the team revised some conceptual choices after the first races of the new season and adjusted the course for the further development of the MCL40. This was in response to the sporting setback compared to Mercedes and Ferrari.
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The reigning world champions have had a difficult season so far. Even during the British GP, the papayas failed to close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari. Home hero Lando Norris finished fourth, while Oscar Piastri fell outside the points after an incident in the opening lap. Despite a reasonable points haul during the sprint weekend, Stella estimated the difference with the competition at about ‘half a second’ and called Norris’s fourth place an ‘overperformance’. In the lead group, Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen had already retired.
According to Stella, McLaren needed time to determine the right direction within the new technical regulations. “During development, we chose several directions from a conceptual point of view, but as we learn more about the 2026 regulations, we have to adjust them,” the team principal admitted to the press. “Such adjustments, especially from an aerodynamic point of view, are not ready to use within a few weeks. It usually takes one or two months, and that is the real delay we currently have compared to the rest.”
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Relieving upgrades
The McLaren team principal expects the first effects of the new approach to become visible soon. “We now have a clear development direction. But it takes – or took – a few months to realize certain parts of the car. We should see the first results of this approach in Hungary, and hopefully more upgrades will follow for the rest of the season.”
Stella sees the upcoming upgrade packages as the main opportunity to reduce the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari. “In an ideal world, we make up the difference with the upgrades we bring around the summer break. Because it is now clear in aerodynamic terms which direction we are taking, development will also proceed much more sustainably. Ideally, we can therefore deliver upgrades in the short and medium term. Let’s hope the other teams have not pulled too far ahead in the championship by then.”
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