F1 China – McLaren struggles with more than the power unit: MCL40 lacks aerodynamic downforce. McLaren’s MCL40 still struggles despite the Mercedes power unit.

MCL40 shows weaknesses beyond the power unit

McLaren may have closed in slightly on their rivals, but the Woking-based team still has plenty of work to do. After running on two tracks since the start of the 2026 F1 season, the team has begun systematically noting the issues affecting the MCL40, the car entrusted this year to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Reliability has not been a concern, which is expected given the introduction of new regulations. Instead, McLaren is focused on the inherent weaknesses the car was built with. Even with a Mercedes power unit—the most powerful on the grid by a clear margin—the team faces multiple challenges beyond the engine.

Power unit vs. chassis

At the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, McLaren’s deficit was roughly split: 50% due to the power unit, and 50% due to the car itself. While Mercedes’ Brackley team has already optimized the V6 hybrid and MGU-K combination, McLaren still needs to extract more performance from other areas of the car.

Aerodynamic limitations in corners

Team principal Andrea Stella explained that the MCL40 suffers from a significant lack of aerodynamic downforce, particularly in corners where grip is most critical. “In Australia, 50% of the gap to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team was linked to exploiting the power unit, and the other 50% to cornering grip,” Stella said. “We have slightly reduced the gap in terms of power unit usage, but in the corners, the deficit is still nearly identical to what we saw in Australia.”

“This is tied to insufficient aerodynamic load. Of course, grip also comes from using the tyres correctly, but by now, everyone knows how to use these tyres in qualifying. So qualifying laps are a good reference to understand the real aerodynamic deficit,” he added.

No complaints about Mercedes

Stella was careful to dismiss any suggestion of dissatisfaction with Mercedes as the power unit supplier. “I don’t think I’ve ever used words like ‘dissatisfaction,’ even indirectly,” he said. “It’s a very complex power unit, and as a customer team, you have to learn how to use it. That’s quite natural.”

“When the product is relatively simple, the gap isn’t large. But in this case, the power unit has unique sensitivities I haven’t seen before in previous championships. So there’s a learning curve. We’re grateful to Mercedes High Performance Powertrains for their collaboration. They give us the information we need, but ultimately, you still have to go out on track and learn,” Stella explained.

“Of course, when you’re a works team, it’s natural to be more integrated. There’s no intellectual property to protect and no sensitive data to safeguard. You operate as a single entity, so it’s fair that they have a small advantage in that respect. We’re not complaining,” he concluded.