McLaren started the 2026 Formula 1 season far from the expected performance, but the scenario seems to have begun to change at the Miami GP. Even so, Andrea Stella preferred to remain cautious when talking about the team’s chances in the championship battles.
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Until the fourth round of the calendar, the British team accumulated problems and difficulties. Lando Norris, the current F1 champion, finished only fifth in Australia, while both McLaren cars did not even start in China. In Japan, Oscar Piastri secured the team’s first podium of the year.
But despite the recent reaction, Stella emphasized that it is still early for any bolder projection and preferred to preach caution. The McLaren boss recalled that Miami marked only the beginning of the first update package for the car.
“I think if we start now thinking about the championships at the end of the season, we need to be a bit careful because we are only at the fourth race,” he said. “We have just brought our first update. We are in Miami and McLaren traditionally does very well here, so it may be that the way we develop our cars matches this circuit.”
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The executive also highlighted that the team has already managed to accumulate an important amount of points compared to Mercedes, as well as believing that there is still clear room for improvement throughout the championship.
“We already said before Miami that the championship was not decided. Our logic is to think long term and try to defend the titles. But, at the same time, we need to come back to the present and do the right work today, because there is no point in thinking so far ahead. We definitely want to defend the championship,” he concluded.
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