McLaren has struggled in the opening races of the 2026 Formula 1 season, although the team is beginning to see some encouraging signs of progress. Team principal Andrea Stella has identified two main reasons behind the difficult start: challenges with the Mercedes power unit and delays in development caused by the 2025 championship fight.
A complicated start to McLaren’s 2026 campaign
McLaren’s start to the 2026 season has been more difficult than expected. After the first three races, the team sits third in the Constructors’ Championship with 46 points, behind Mercedes and Ferrari, both of which have appeared more competitive from the outset.
The most critical issue, however, concerns reliability. McLaren has already recorded three non-starts in just the first two races. Oscar Piastri failed to start in both Australia and China, while Lando Norris was also stranded on the grid in Shanghai. All of these incidents were linked to electrical issues within the power unit.
The power unit issue: performance and reliability
According to team principal Andrea Stella, one of the key challenges has been understanding and fully exploiting the new Mercedes-supplied power unit.
The issue is not only raw performance, but also system management: energy deployment, electronics, and integration with the car. The initial difficulties, combined with reliability problems, have slowed down McLaren’s work and limited progress in the opening rounds.
The 2025 effect on the MCL40 project
The second factor relates to car development. McLaren fought until the final race of 2025 in the battle for the championship, which inevitably delayed part of the work on the 2026 project.
The MCL40 was therefore designed with a different philosophy: less focused on immediate performance and more oriented towards long-term development. The aim was to create a solid base that could be improved throughout the season, taking into account the complexity of the new regulations.
Positive signs: Suzuka and Piastri’s podium
Despite the early struggles, the first encouraging signs arrived in Japan. At Suzuka, Oscar Piastri finished second, delivering a competitive pace and even showing moments of race leadership before the safety car period reshuffled strategies.
This result marks an important turning point, highlighting that the car’s potential is greater than what was seen in the opening rounds.
Growth still to be completed
McLaren remains a work in progress. The team still needs to improve reliability and unlock performance, but the data suggests a positive direction.
The development rate also appears promising, which is crucial in a long season defined by completely new regulations.
Final analysis
McLaren’s difficult start is not random, but the result of two key factors: the complexity of the new Mercedes power unit and a development path influenced by the 2025 title fight. However, the Suzuka podium and early performance improvements suggest the team could close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari relatively quickly in the coming races.
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