McLaren’s 2026 Formula 1 season has fallen short of expectations so far. The MCL40 arrived in Barcelona as one of the most promising cars on the grid, but during the opening races it never truly challenged Mercedes and was often outperformed by Ferrari as well. The upgrades introduced in Miami delivered only limited gains and, according to team principal Andrea Stella, the picture is now very clear.
“Seventy percent of our gap to Mercedes is currently due to aerodynamic downforce, while the remaining 30% comes from how the engine is being used,” Stella explained.
While the downforce deficit is the direct result of the work carried out in Woking, that remaining 30% opens a far more delicate discussion. Although Mercedes no longer boasts the most powerful internal combustion engine according to FIA ADUO measurements, the German manufacturer remains the benchmark when it comes to overall efficiency and, above all, the management of its hybrid power unit.
“At Silverstone there is very little grip and the cars slide around a lot, especially when the wind picks up. The cars with more downforce are also more predictable,” Stella explained, while confirming that major aerodynamic upgrades are planned for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
However, beyond developing the car itself, McLaren knows there is another area that must improve: the power unit.
Mercedes continues to extract more from its hybrid system
Silverstone once again highlighted Mercedes’ unique strategy for maximising energy recovery and electrical deployment during the final sector of the lap. Following the FIA regulation change introduced at Suzuka, the engineers at Brixworth developed a new, fully legal solution that allows them to generate one final burst of electrical power by exploiting the driver’s lift-off before the finish line.
“It’s something we weren’t expecting and had never discussed before. I don’t think we’re able to do that,” Stella admitted.
The advantage was clearly visible in qualifying. Over the final section of the lap alone, Andrea Kimi Antonelli gained approximately 0.086 seconds on the McLaren. The Mercedes driver completely lifted off the throttle, while Oscar Piastri was still applying more than 80% throttle. It is a detail that perfectly illustrates modern Formula 1: sometimes the fastest way to go quicker is actually to accelerate less.
A deeper problem than it first appears
That, however, represents only the visible part of a much larger issue McLaren has yet to solve. Since Melbourne, the team has made significant progress in extracting more performance from its Mercedes power unit, yet the factory Mercedes team continues to operate the same engine package more effectively than any of its customer teams. In 2026, this difference has become significantly more costly than it was in previous seasons.
“We need to get more from the power unit we have available. It’s not only about how we use it, but also about other factors, including the engine specification itself,” Stella admitted.
Although the Italian has consistently praised the work carried out by Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, there is growing frustration within the McLaren camp.
Traction and acceleration remain McLaren’s weak points
At Silverstone, the MCL40 proved highly competitive in terms of top speed, yet it continued to lose time during the traction and acceleration phases. According to Stella, the performance gap cannot simply be explained by the car’s higher aerodynamic drag.
Across all of the circuit’s acceleration zones, the deficit is estimated to be around six tenths of a second, with the largest losses occurring below 240 km/h. The data confirms that the gap is the result of several combined factors: reduced aerodynamic downforce, the superior traction of the Mercedes W17, and more effective deployment of the power unit.
Gearbox calibration has also become part of the problem. McLaren remains tied to the original parameters provided by Mercedes HPP during the winter, while the manufacturer has continued refining those settings throughout the season through experience and deeper integration. As a factory team, Mercedes—and similarly Ferrari and Red Bull with their own power unit operations—has been able to evolve these calibrations much more quickly than a customer outfit like McLaren.
Different engine specifications are also making a difference
Another important factor is the difference in engine specification. As the manufacturer, Mercedes naturally has access to the latest updates. In recent weeks, Alpine and Williams have also received an updated version of the power unit.
McLaren, however, continues to use the previous specification because the engines currently installed in its cars still have sufficient mileage remaining before replacement becomes necessary.
It is one of the great paradoxes of McLaren’s season. Ironically, the reliability problems suffered during the opening Grands Prix reduced the total mileage accumulated by several power units, allowing the team to extend their service life and consequently delaying the introduction of the latest Mercedes specification.
In other words, the failures that initially hurt the MCL40 have also indirectly postponed the arrival of the newest evolution of the Mercedes engine.
It should also be noted that Mercedes was under no obligation to immediately supply this updated specification to McLaren. This is not an ADUO performance upgrade, but rather a modification introduced primarily to improve reliability. As such, the manufacturer has greater flexibility in deciding when customer teams receive it—a situation that has not been particularly well received in Woking.
McLaren wants more than improved reliability
A new battery was introduced at the Austrian Grand Prix with the primary objective of solving the reliability concerns. However, McLaren’s ambitions go well beyond simply eliminating mechanical failures.
The team’s real objective is to reduce the performance gap in how the power unit is exploited. Publicly, Andrea Stella continues to emphasise the strong collaboration between McLaren and Mercedes. Behind the scenes, however, there is a growing belief that the factory Mercedes team still enjoys a technical advantage that is unlikely to disappear until McLaren is finally able to introduce the latest engine specification as well.
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