McLaren’s major MCL40 upgrade surprised Mercedes during a Hungarian Grand Prix weekend in which Lando Norris ended the championship leaders’ perfect 2026 pole-position streak before delivering Woking’s first victory of the season. Mercedes technical deputy director Simone Resta believes the extensively redesigned floor must have contributed to McLaren’s decisive performance step.
The result changed the complexion of the championship heading into the summer break. Mercedes had controlled the opening phase of the campaign, but successive developments from McLaren and Ferrari have steadily reduced its advantage, leaving the team with increasingly little room for error as it decides when to introduce its next upgrades.
McLaren MCL40 upgrade surprises Mercedes
Lando Norris delivered the first warning in qualifying by ending Mercedes’ run of pole positions in the 2026 season. He then dominated Sunday’s race to secure McLaren’s first win of the year with the Mercedes-powered MCL40.
Behind that breakthrough was a significant McLaren development: a completely redesigned floor. Simone Resta assessed the intervention during the team’s new internal podcast, the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show, and made clear that Mercedes had taken notice of the scale of its rival’s work.
“For certain, it is a major upgrade and it must have had an impact on their performance,” the Italian engineer said.
However, Simone Resta also placed McLaren’s result in context by pointing to the considerable performance difference between its two drivers during the weekend. Although the upgraded car demonstrated its potential, he suggested that Lando Norris had also extracted more from the package and the conditions than his team-mate.
Lando Norris finds the right set-up in Hungary
“If you look at the gap between the two cars, that is significant too. We have generally seen a McLaren perform well on many occasions this year, with ups and downs between the two drivers over who was the fastest,” Simone Resta explained.
The Mercedes technical deputy director added that Lando Norris had already produced convincing performances at several points during the season. In Hungary, the British driver probably found an ideal set-up for managing the tyre compounds in the specific conditions at the Hungaroring.
That combination of the upgraded MCL40, an effective set-up and strong tyre management helped Lando Norris produce what he later described as one of his best Formula 1 drives. The victory also demonstrated that Mercedes can no longer assume its early-season superiority will continue across every circuit.
Ferrari and McLaren close the gap to Mercedes
Mercedes began the 2026 season by winning each of the opening six races from pole position. Since then, however, both Ferrari and McLaren have broken that monopoly. Their respective development programmes have gradually brought them close to Mercedes’ performance level.
Ferrari recovered 26 points across the final three races before the summer break, although the Maranello team still enters the pause 72 points behind the championship leaders. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur nevertheless remains focused on Ferrari’s Constructors’ Championship ambitions after the team made another small gain on Mercedes in Hungary.
According to Simone Resta, Mercedes had anticipated its rivals closing the gap as their respective upgrades reached the track.
“We expected it, generally. At the start of the season, there are always question marks over the possible rivals, but in the end it went as we expected,” he admitted.
The different development schedules followed by Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari are now making the championship more unpredictable. One team can introduce an effective package and alter the competitive order, forcing its rivals to determine whether they should accelerate their own programmes or remain committed to their original plans.
Mercedes targets power-unit reliability
Development has not been Mercedes’ only concern. Reliability problems affecting its power unit during the first part of the campaign have also allowed its rivals to gain ground, costing the team valuable championship points.
The scale of that problem was illustrated in Hungary, where an engine fault contributed to George Russell’s disastrous opening lap. Mercedes is determined to address such weaknesses through a rigorous and methodical approach.
“I think this is the result of a higher level in Formula 1. You really have to squeeze every single aspect, and we are fortunate to have a lot of experience in the team,” Simone Resta explained.
He added that Mercedes intends to analyse every problem rationally rather than allowing emotion to influence its response. That experience could prove critical as the team attempts to protect its championship advantage while simultaneously improving reliability and performance.
Mercedes considers timing of next F1 upgrades
Mercedes is now evaluating how to manage its development programme during the second half of the season. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord confirmed that discussions were already taking place over when the next performance gains should be transferred from the factory to the race track.
Bradley Lord summarised the central question facing Mercedes: “When do we bring to the track the performance that is in the wind tunnel or being worked on at the factory right now?”
Selecting the correct moment to introduce new aerodynamic and power-unit developments will be decisive. Mercedes must respond to McLaren and Ferrari without compromising the advantage it has accumulated, particularly as Kimi Antonelli enters the summer break after strengthening his championship lead in Hungary.
McLaren’s breakthrough has therefore delivered more than a first victory of the season. It has provided clear evidence that the MCL40 is becoming an increasingly serious threat and placed additional pressure on Mercedes to ensure its next development decisions are the right ones.
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