McLaren has not given up on the possibility of winning a third consecutive constructors’ title in Formula 1. Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledges the difficulty of the mission but sees room for a comeback if the team can replicate the performance shown at the Hungarian GP.
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Currently, the team is in third place in the championship, 159 points behind Mercedes and 87 behind Ferrari. The scenario changed after a difficult first half of the season, which had as its lowest point the double retirement before the start in China, but gained new momentum with Lando Norris’s victory in Budapest.
Stella stated that the championship fight will mainly depend on McLaren’s ability to maintain the development pace of the MCL40: “This is a difficult question, but there is a very clear answer. If we can continue the season as we did in Budapest, I think we can still achieve a lot,” he said.
The team principal emphasized that it will be necessary to develop the car at a faster pace than the rivals: “We need to keep pushing forward with the development of the MCL40 and ensure that we are faster than our rivals, who certainly are not standing still, in this race within the race, which is the competition for upgrades,” he said.
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Stella also acknowledged that McLaren had greater difficulties than expected in turning upgrades into performance during the first part of the 2026 season. Still, he believes in the team’s ability to sustain positive progress once it gains momentum: “There are still many opportunities, considering there are 546 points up for grabs. Of course, the gap in the two championships is significant, but we remember well last year’s lesson,” he added.
McLaren is preparing new upgrades for the upcoming rounds, with minor improvements initially planned and a more significant package being planned for the Azerbaijan GP. After that, the team will evaluate the aerodynamic development performance to decide whether to continue investing in the MCL40 or focus efforts on next season’s car.
Nick Houldey, technical director of Applied Engineering for the British team, explained that the work is not only focused on increasing performance. The goal is also to increase downforce and make the MCL40 easier to drive, allowing the drivers to explore its potential more consistently both in qualifying sessions and races.
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