McLaren seems to have regained its form after a difficult start to the 2026 season for the reigning world champions thanks to significant upgrades introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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Lando Norris claimed his first win of the season at the Hungaroring, while Oscar Piastri had led much of the race before being forced to retire due to a gearbox issue.
For Andrea Stella, this performance should now serve as a starting point for McLaren’s comeback: « If we can continue the season as we did in Budapest, I think we can still achieve a lot. To do so, we must keep pushing the development of the MCL40 and ensure we beat our rivals, who obviously are not standing still, in this race within the race that is the battle of upgrades. »
The development race will be decisive
McLaren had notably struggled during the first part of the championship with a development pace below expectations. However, the latest upgrades seem to have allowed the Woking engineers to find a more promising direction.
« The result will depend on the effectiveness of the solutions we bring on track, continues Stella. In the first part of the season, we suffered more than expected in this area as well, but I think that, in recent years, when we managed to create momentum, we were able to maintain it. »
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Despite their deficit in both championships, McLaren refuses to consider the season lost. Stella notably highlights the large number of points still available: « There are twelve races left on the calendar, so plenty of opportunities as 546 points are still up for grabs. »
Filling the trophy cabinet
The challenge remains considerable, but the head of McLaren also wants to rely on the team’s recent successes to maintain motivation.
« Of course, the gap in both championships is significant, but we remember very well last year’s lesson, he recalls. I always tell the team that if we have installed a new display case at the McLaren Technology Centre to house our recent trophies, then we have a duty to do everything possible to keep filling it. »
After Budapest, McLaren seems to have found the weapon it had been missing since the start of the year. Now it remains to confirm this return to the forefront.
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