McLaren is preparing further upgrades for the MCL40 across the upcoming American leg of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Austin, Mexico City and Interlagos set to become an important test of whether the team can respond to Red Bull’s recent resurgence.
The Singapore Grand Prix produced a result that, despite the particular circumstances of the race, closely reflected McLaren’s current competitive level. Lando Norris finished fourth and Oscar Piastri fifth, giving the team 22 points in the Constructors’ Championship, where Red Bull now appears to be the most immediate threat to McLaren’s third place.
McLaren cannot afford to stop developing the MCL40
The performance gap has become increasingly visible in recent weeks. Red Bull’s RB22 has returned to a highly competitive level, while the MCL40 no longer appears as strong as it did during the summer period between Hungary and the Netherlands.
Andrea Stella did not attempt to disguise McLaren’s current position after the Marina Bay race.
“Overall, today’s result reflects the current performance level of our car,” Andrea Stella explained. “It is no coincidence that it is very similar to what we saw yesterday in qualifying.”
The McLaren team principal also acknowledged that Lando Norris may have had an opportunity to fight for third place, but the more important point concerned what comes next.
McLaren does not consider its 2026 development programme finished and is preparing to introduce further upgrades during the upcoming races in the Americas. Austin, Mexico City and Interlagos will provide an important opportunity to assess how much more competitiveness can be extracted from the MCL40.
Stella reiterated that direction after Singapore, confirming McLaren’s intention to continue bringing new parts.
“It gives us confidence for the next three races as we focus on introducing upgrades that, we hope, will allow us to fight for the podium,” Andrea Stella said.
He added: “We will have some upgrades over the next few races. We want to put the MCL40 in a position where it can win races through its own performance.”
That means development will continue across the Austin, Mexico and Brazil triple-header, with the possibility that some components could arrive as early as the United States Grand Prix.
Baku package changed McLaren’s aerodynamic philosophy
McLaren had already made a significant change to its development direction at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, introducing what can be considered one of the most extensive MCL40 update packages of the season in terms of both scale and the number of components involved.
The Baku upgrade was not simply a floor modification. It represented a wider revision of the car’s aerodynamic architecture.
Changes were made to the sidepod inlets, the shape of the sidepods, the engine cover, the floor and the diffuser, with further revisions to the rear suspension fairings.
Those modifications were closely connected and designed to reorganise airflow management along the entire car. Overall drag was reduced, something supported by the data, but the MCL40 also began responding differently to certain set-up inputs compared with its previous specification, in a way similar to what Mercedes had experienced.
McLaren now needs to widen the MCL40 operating window
From a technical perspective, one of the key questions is how far McLaren can refine the interaction between the bodywork and floor.
The objective will be to broaden the MCL40’s aerodynamic operating window, which appeared narrower following the introduction of the new package.
There is also the question of when a potential power unit update linked to ADUO could become available, which could provide another performance variable alongside the chassis and aerodynamic work.
Austin in particular should provide an interesting technical test because of the Circuit of the Americas’ varied corner profiles and contrasting aerodynamic demands.
Mexico City and Interlagos will then provide further reference points. The Mexican Grand Prix presents the challenge of high altitude, while Brazil requires an effective compromise between aerodynamic efficiency and downforce.
McLaren wants to respond to Red Bull’s resurgence
McLaren’s main challenge is not simply improving the MCL40, but improving it quickly enough to keep pace with its rivals.
Red Bull has made an important step forward and now appears close to being the strongest car in the hands of Max Verstappen.
“We know Red Bull has made a step forward, but this result confirms that we are fully in the fight with our main championship rivals and that the gap to the best is something we believe we can close,” Andrea Stella said.
The technical comparison between McLaren and Red Bull is particularly interesting because, although both teams are pursuing more downforce and greater airflow stability, they have followed different development paths.
It remains to be seen how much of the potential within McLaren’s new solutions has already been extracted and how much more performance could still emerge through further aerodynamic refinement and set-up work on the MCL40.
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