McLaren team principal Andrea Stella: This is easier this season than in 2025

Last year, the McLaren team, with Lando Norris at the wheel, fought for the Drivers’ Championship title right up to the very end – and were ultimately able to celebrate. The Briton finished the season two points ahead of last year’s title holder, Max Verstappen of the Red Bull Racing team. The long battle for the lead took its toll, as Andrea Stella emphasises in hindsight.

It’s easier to find a middle ground

In an interview with McLaren during the summer break, the team principal explains that development of the 2025 car continued for a very long time, even though it was clear that 2026 would see a new generation of cars hit the track under the new regulations. This naturally also had an impact on the development of the 2026 car.

This year, the decision on when to shift the focus to the next season is somewhat easier. This is because the Formula 1 field is not expecting a revolution in the regulations next year, which is why the insights gained from 2026 are also very useful with a view to next year. Stella confirms: “In a way, it’s easier this year to strike a balance between the two requirements: driving forward both this year’s car and the development of its successor.”

Development is still in its infancy

And the engineer explains: “Whilst in 2025 we faced the challenge of striking a balance between two extremes – on the one hand, pushing to the limits to win the world championship, and on the other, designing a new car practically from scratch – the transition between the two projects is going much more smoothly this year, as the rule changes are relatively minor.”

“We must bear in mind that this generation of cars is still in its infancy – both in terms of the chassis and the powertrain. Therefore, practically everything we learn in 2026 will be of use to us next year. Of course, we’ll then have to find the right balance when it comes to the budget cap, wind tunnel testing hours and computer simulations, as well as the allocation of resources between design and production. But I believe we’re well positioned in all areas,” adds the Italian.

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