Photo: RacePictures

McLaren chief plays down expectations ahead of 2026 reset

23:00, 19 Dec

Updated: 23:03, 19 Dec

byTobia Elia

Andrea Stella prefers to strike a very cautious tone when it comes to labeling McLaren as the team to beat next season.

“You can’t say that this year, because in 2026 everything is new”

- Andrea Stella

After clinching the Constructors’ Championship at the final race last season, McLaren went on to blow the competition away in 2025, securing back-to-back titles with almost double the points of second-placed Mercedes and also claiming the Drivers’ Championship with Lando Norris.

Had the ground-effect era continued into 2026, there would be little doubt about labelling the papaya outfit as the team to beat next year as well. However, according to Stella, that assessment is impossible to make, given that the new regulations will effectively put everyone back on a blank sheet of paper.

“You can’t say that this year, because in 2026 everything is new,” he told Sky Sport Italy. “It may be the first time in history that there’s a regulation change affecting the chassis, the power unit and the tyres — so everything is completely new and there are no reference points.

Photo: Race Pictures

“I still see the excellent work being done on our technical side, particularly in terms of the development curve, which is important and encouraging, but we don’t know where the others are.”

The Italian explained that McLaren are approaching the new regulations with great caution, also stressing that 2026 will represent a huge technical battle from a development standpoint.

“We’ll learn where we stand, and regardless of where we are at the start, it will be a development battle throughout 2026 and beyond. This is really the time to focus on ourselves and keep that development trajectory as steep as possible.”

Ex-McLaren driver pinpoints what may be "challenging" for papaya squad in 2026

Despite taking home the largest share of prize money thanks to their Constructors’ Championship triumph, McLaren will also have fewer wind tunnel hours at their disposal next season.

According to team's former Formula E driver, Sam Bird, this could prove to be a hurdle in the year ahead, with development set to be more crucial than ever in refining projects that could deliver significant lap-time gains even within the space of just a few months.

GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.