F1 | McLaren’s Andrea Stella reveals key areas for MCL40 upgrades in 2026. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has identified the key areas of improvement on the MCL40.

Looking ahead to the 2026 season, which is just around the corner, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is fully aware of the need to address some key areas of the MCL40 to ensure the Woking team can aim to defend its title after last year’s double championship success.

The new MCL40 took to the track for the first time last week, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completing the shakedown in Barcelona. The car’s official launch is scheduled for February 9, ahead of the first official pre-season testing session in Bahrain, set to take place from February 11 to 13.

Offering an initial assessment of the new car’s performance, Stella highlighted that further work is needed to extract more performance from the Mercedes power unit and the new active aerodynamics. “Although these are very preliminary indications, I believe one of the areas with the greatest potential for improvement is the exploitation of the new power unit and all the options available to the driver,” he said.

“There is also significant potential to be unlocked in managing the variable aerodynamic setup, referring to the switch between Corner Mode and Straight Mode. That said, it is clear that this generation of cars is still in a very early stage of development.”

Andrea Stella is therefore aware that some issues are inevitable in the early stages of development following such a major regulation change. “Four years ago, when ground-effect cars made their debut, we were in a different situation, because the power unit and the tires were essentially unchanged compared to the previous year,” he added.

As McLaren prepares for the heat of Bahrain, the focus shifts from basic systems checks to performance optimization. The MCL40 represents a significant departure from its predecessor, requiring a complete rethink of how the driver interacts with the car’s energy recovery systems. If Stella’s team can successfully bridge the gap in these “high-margin” areas, McLaren will be well-positioned to hold off the expected surge from rivals Ferrari and Mercedes. For now, the champion’s approach is one of methodical improvement, proving that even at the top, there is always more speed to be found.