Looking at the results from the first two race weekends, it’s hard to recognize the McLaren team that dominated the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in recent years. The start of 2026 has been a dramatic one, with just 18 points earned across two races, coupled with three retirements. Oscar Piastri hasn’t yet completed a single lap in the season: in Australia, he crashed during the installation lap, while in China, he was sidelined by Power Unit issues. Lando Norris faced similar complications, failing to leave the garage in Shanghai. It’s a tough blow for a team defending both Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles, but Team Principal Andrea Stella assures that morale remains positive and that these difficulties are simply part of the journey.
The biggest regret: the lack of points
McLaren’s struggles this season are particularly striking given the technical dominance of the past two years. Of the two races so far, only Norris completed the Australian GP, while Piastri has yet to start a race. While other teams face similar challenges, the biggest concern is the lack of points from the Papaya drivers, who are expected to defend the Constructors’ title. At the start of a regulatory cycle, collecting data is also crucial for understanding and developing the car.
Stella identifies the lack of points as the most damaging factor: “At the moment, Mercedes seems to be in a league of its own, and we are slightly closer to Ferrari. We race with the ambition to compete for significant results, and we are losing ground. Those points could weigh heavily at the end of the season. So, our biggest regret is not scoring any points.” Despite the retirements, the team is learning quickly: “Every lap is important in 2026, but we’re learning fast. Based on what we learned yesterday in the Sprint and in Australia, we believe we’re in a good position, especially in utilizing the Power Unit. More data would have been useful, but the real impact is on the championship standings.”
Learning by observing in China
In China, the drivers watched the race from the garage to learn from others. They focused on their colleagues’ performance rather than their own cars, studying other teams’ strategies. “Oscar and I watched a part of the race together. We discussed tyre behavior, particularly the hard compounds, and the characteristics of the Power Units, wheel-to-wheel battles, what happens when you start fighting another car, the impact on lap times, and how to counter-overtake. These are lessons you can maximize by being a spectator—but an informed spectator who knows the background. You can gain useful insights even when you’re in a position you’d never want to be in: a spectator instead of the protagonist.”
Challenges are part of the journey
This season has started with numerous challenges for McLaren’s drivers, arguably the toughest in recent years. Expectations are high, especially after the technical dominance of 2024, which yielded two Constructors’ titles and one Drivers’ title. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have championships to defend, yet so far only the British driver has earned points—18 in total. Morale may understandably be low, but Stella reassures that both drivers remain positive: “Considering that Oscar hasn’t even started a race so far in 2026, it’s tough to process. But at the same time—I saw it in conversations with them after the race—both remain positive.”
The key lies in the strength of the McLaren team, built and nurtured since 2023 through moments of hardship and triumph, culminating in two Constructors’ and one Drivers’ titles. “The journey we’ve undertaken at McLaren since 2023 has built a winning culture and mindset: a positive attitude focused on what we can control,” Stella explains. “Today we couldn’t control much. We take the lessons and move forward.”
The team has a history of bouncing back. Over the years, McLaren has shown resilience, staying united even during internal competition between Norris and Piastri for the Drivers’ title. “As I said internally last year when we won the double championship: the real victory wasn’t in Abu Dhabi, but in Qatar or Las Vegas for how we endured challenges. That’s when you become a champion. Today is part of that journey. You have to endure, process, and use the experience to become even stronger champions in the future. This is our mindset, and I saw it today in Oscar, Lando, and the entire team.”
While the start of the 2026 season has been a significant setback for the defending champions, the focus in Woking remains on long-term resilience and technical recovery. Andrea Stella’s leadership emphasizes that the character of a championship team is forged in these difficult moments, and McLaren is determined to turn their spectator status back into a leading role as the season progresses.
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