McLaren will introduce floor modifications and braking-related upgrades to its MCL40 at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, as the team attempts to recover from a difficult run of races and protect its position in the Constructors’ Championship. Technical chief and chief designer Rob Marshall believes the Circuit of The Americas could better suit McLaren’s car, although the team must first establish whether its latest developments deliver the expected improvements.
The Austin upgrades arrive at a critical point in McLaren’s season. The team has lost ground to Ferrari in the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, while Red Bull is now just seven points behind. With only 33 points collected across the previous three Grands Prix, McLaren needs to reverse a downward trend that followed Lando Norris’s victories in Hungary and the Netherlands.
McLaren hopes Austin upgrades can reverse disappointing F1 form
The optimism generated by Lando Norris’s victories has gradually faded following several disappointing weekends. McLaren’s most recent development package, introduced in Baku, failed to deliver the expected results, leaving the team struggling to maintain its earlier competitiveness.
The difficult period has also been accompanied by moments of tension, including the collision between reigning world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri towards the end of the Singapore Sprint. The incident added to the frustration surrounding a team already under pressure to recover its performance.
With Austin opening another sequence of three consecutive Grands Prix, McLaren faces an important opportunity to change the direction of its final races of 2026. The Circuit of The Americas presents a demanding combination of corners and kerbs, making it a valuable test of the MCL40’s overall performance.
“The Circuit of The Americas is physically demanding for both the driver and the car,” explained Rob Marshall, McLaren’s technical chief and chief designer. “The series of high-speed corners, with their tricky kerbs, generates high loads that can unsettle the driver and cause damage.”
Rob Marshall confirms McLaren MCL40 floor and braking upgrades
McLaren will bring a series of relatively small technical developments to Texas, focusing on both braking reliability and performance. The team also intends to evaluate modifications to the MCL40’s floor during practice, continuing its efforts to understand and improve the car.
“For this event, we’re bringing some upgrades aimed at improving braking reliability and addressing certain performance issues. We’ll also be testing some small changes to the car’s floor,” Rob Marshall confirmed.
The British engineer acknowledged that predicting the competitive order among Formula 1’s leading teams has become increasingly difficult. Recent races have demonstrated how quickly performance differences can change as teams introduce new components and encounter circuits with different characteristics.
“We’ve all seen how difficult it has been over the last five or six races to predict the relative performance of the leading teams,” Rob Marshall continued.
“There are numerous factors involved: the introduction of upgrades, how well or poorly the cars adapt to particular circuits, and how comfortable the drivers feel at individual venues, to name just a few. The last few races haven’t been particularly positive for us, but I believe we’re starting to improve again. Austin is probably a circuit that suits our car better.”
That assessment offers some encouragement for McLaren, although the new components will still need to demonstrate their effectiveness on track. The team is looking for a more consistent performance level after its recent difficulties, particularly as Red Bull continues to close the gap in the championship.
Why Austin practice will be crucial for McLaren’s technical development
Rob Marshall believes the free practice sessions at the United States Grand Prix will be particularly important for understanding the MCL40’s behaviour and validating the team’s development work.
“The practice sessions will be crucial for comparing the data from our development tools with what we measure on track,” he explained. “We’re still learning how to extract the maximum potential from this car. We have every type of corner here, so our main objective will be to find the best possible balance over the entire lap.”
The variety of corners at the Circuit of The Americas will give McLaren an opportunity to assess how the car responds to different demands within a single lap. Finding a suitable compromise will be essential if the team is to convert its latest development work into improved results.
McLaren’s preparations also take place against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive battle between the leading teams. Ferrari is seeking to strengthen its advantage in second place, with its own Austin upgrade programme for the SF-26, while Red Bull’s recent progress has increased the pressure on McLaren.
McLaren already looking towards 2027 F1 car development
Although McLaren remains focused on recovering its competitiveness during the closing stages of 2026, its technical department is also increasingly looking ahead to next season. Teams are approaching the final phase of development for their current cars, with resources gradually shifting towards future projects.
Rob Marshall believes the experience gained during the first season of Formula 1’s new technical regulations will provide a valuable foundation for the 2027 car. With relatively limited regulatory changes expected, many of the concepts developed for the MCL40 should remain relevant.
“Looking ahead to next year, the team has learned a great deal from this first season of the new technical era,” Rob Marshall explained. “Because the regulation changes planned for 2027 are relatively modest, many of the components and design philosophies of this car remain relevant to the direction we’ll take in the future.”
“Even if the specific hardware isn’t retained, the knowledge we’ve acquired and the correlation of our data remain extremely valuable. Every time we can compare the results from simulations, the wind tunnel and the track, we refine the tools and understanding that we use for development towards 2027.”
For McLaren, the Austin weekend therefore represents more than an opportunity to reverse its recent decline. The team’s immediate priority is to improve braking reliability, evaluate the floor changes and recover performance in the Constructors’ Championship, but the information gathered in Texas could also help shape the technical direction of its 2027 Formula 1 car.
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