A McLaren remains distant from the desired positions in the 2026 Formula 1 season, but Andrea Stella does not consider the title fight over. Despite the team’s irregular start, the British team’s boss assured that the goal remains to take the championship fight to the final stage of the season in Abu Dhabi.
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After the first five races of the year, neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri managed to establish themselves as direct contenders at the top of the standings. Still, Stella believes there are enough positive signs to justify optimism within the team.
The MCL40 showed competitive potential at different moments of the season. Piastri’s performances in Japan and Norris’s in Miami were cited as examples of the speed the car is capable of when everything works correctly.
However, the main problem has been turning performance into consistent results. McLaren suffered from retirements and races not even started, situations that harmed the points of both drivers and prevented the team from occupying a more favorable position in the table.
Even recognizing that the current scenario is below the expectations set before the start of the championship, Stella highlighted the technical evolution observed in the first months of the year. According to him, the team is advancing both in car development and in understanding how to better exploit the power unit package.
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“There are encouraging signs in terms of car development and how much we are learning about exploiting the power unit. We are definitely below what would be our expectation to be in the championship fight, but at the same time, we want to take the positive aspects,” he said.
The executive also pointed out that the season is still in an early phase: “It’s only five races out of at least twenty-two. We will see if the first stages in the Middle East can be recovered.”
For Stella, McLaren’s focus is not on the points lost so far, but on the learning gained each weekend: “We don’t think much about what has already happened. We just try to learn every day to be as prepared as possible for the next race,” he added.
The British team boss made it clear that there is no feeling of resignation within McLaren: “We definitely believe the championship is not decided. We want to be in this fight and we want the championship to be decided in Abu Dhabi. That is a strong determination we have at McLaren and we want to make it happen,” Stella concluded.
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