McLaren’s 2026 F1 campaign has slipped after a strong opening, with the team now the clear fourth fastest as underlying car limitations and costly incidents bite.

Singapore underlined the deficit. Lando Norris finished 40 seconds behind Max Verstappen, a stark marker of race pace relative to the title benchmark.

The MCL40 struggles in low-speed turns, on corner entry, and on straights. Higher drag and short gear ratios hamper top speed, exposing weaknesses on unsuitable circuits.

Malaysia was especially puzzling. Medium and high-speed content should suit McLaren, yet the rough surface reduced tyre grip and triggered aero sensitivity the car could not absorb.

Andrea Stella called the data “weird,” but the message was clear. The weekend exposed fundamental MCL40 limitations rather than a single setup misstep.

Operational errors compounded matters. In Azerbaijan, Norris crashed in a restart melee and Oscar Piastri ran off while chasing a podium, amid repeated brake lock-ups.

Norris accepted blame for a Turn 1 error and has vowed to cut mistakes. McLaren also tripped over strategy in Malaysia, starting on the wrong tyre.

Ferrari still banked third and fourth in Malaysia, while McLaren salvaged only sixth and ninth. Norris also clipped gravel behind the safety car, losing track position.

A sprint collision between the team-mates in Singapore weekend further hit the tally. The race offered respite, though, with Norris fourth and Piastri fifth despite setbacks.

Norris ran off while battling Lewis Hamilton. Piastri’s slow puncture oddly helped, enabling quicker late stops. Qualifying pace lagged the leaders across the triple-header.

Piastri’s Baku third on the grid owed partly to Verstappen’s engine issue, rather than raw speed. Race pace still trailed the top three teams.

Red Bull’s Baku update improved front-end response, stretching McLaren’s gap. Mercedes and Ferrari dipped briefly, yet retained an edge, aided by concept strengths McLaren currently lacks.

Driver feedback paints a clear picture. Norris calls the car too difficult to drive, operating on a knife edge with a narrow performance window.

Both drivers report heavy time loss when slightly off-line. That points to aerodynamic or mechanical sensitivity, limiting consistency and confidence.

The next upgrade push arrives in Austin. A larger aero package aims to trim roughly three tenths, as outlined in McLaren’s 2026 upgrades plan.

Stella cautions that downforce alone will not fix the fundamentals. The MCL41 for 2027 targets structural changes, detailed in an interview with Andrea Stella.

The aim is twofold. Close the immediate gap to podiums and gather learning that de-risks next year’s concept, while keeping sight of cost cap realities.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.