Former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill has expressed surprise regarding McLaren’s current performance in the 2026 season. The team, which demonstrated strong development capabilities in 2025, is now reportedly facing significant challenges.
McLaren’s 2026 car development is understood to be approximately three months behind that of the Mercedes team. This delay is attributed to initial design errors within McLaren’s chassis and a strategic decision to postpone on-track testing.
Team Principal Andrea Stella acknowledged that McLaren adopted conceptual directions during early 2026 development that required redirection. He stated that as the team gained more understanding of the new regulations, a revised approach became necessary.
Stella indicated this redirection process typically takes one to two months, contributing to the current two to three-month delay compared to top competitors. McLaren’s focus on the tight 2025 championship battle with Max Verstappen and Red Bull also diverted attention from 2026 car development.
As reigning constructors’ world champions in 2025, McLaren operated under FIA aero testing restrictions, granting them proportionally less wind tunnel time than rivals. This factor likely impacted their ability to develop the new car.
The MCL40 has been described by Lando Norris as ‘one of the hardest cars I’ve ever driven in Formula 1.’ He noted that the car’s pace has been consistently poor this season.
McLaren has also struggled with reliability, completing the fewest laps of any team in the 2026 season so far. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix due to separate electrical problems.
Oscar Piastri also did not start the Australian Grand Prix after a crash during the reconnaissance lap. These incidents have significantly impacted the team’s early season points tally.
The car’s weaknesses include being draggy and lacking downforce compared to Mercedes. Sub-optimal gear ratios, chosen based on early estimates, are also contributing to performance deficits.
Tyre management, a previous strength for McLaren, has become a weakness in 2026. The MCL40 appears to operate within a narrow performance window, making tyre temperature control difficult in varying conditions.
Lando Norris, the reigning world champion, currently sits fifth in the drivers’ standings, 82 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli. He has secured only two podium finishes across the first nine rounds of the 2026 season.
McLaren anticipates the first results of their redirected development strategy to appear at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Further upgrades are expected to be introduced throughout the remainder of the season.
