McLaren will use its major Baku upgrade to decide whether to continue developing the MCL40 during the final part of the 2026 Formula 1 season or transfer its resources to next year’s car. After its commanding victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Woking team believes it has finally found a more productive direction, but the Azerbaijan weekend will provide the decisive test.
The Budapest result returned McLaren to the battle for the leading positions after a difficult start to the new regulatory era. The team has, at least for now, overcome some of the early problems connected with adopting the Mercedes power unit and understanding its management software, allowing its performances to become more consistent and productive.
McLaren’s Hungary victory was also supported by a substantial development package that appears to have worked extremely well. The upgrades were the result of a broader technical programme, with McLaren’s connected development process helping deliver its Budapest breakthrough.
Neil Houldey explains McLaren’s difficult start to 2026
In a recent interview with auto motor und sport, McLaren technical director Neil Houldey reviewed the first half of the season and explained that the MCL40 had provided a solid development platform from the beginning.
However, the papaya car was relatively immature compared with the projects produced by McLaren’s direct rivals. Neil Houldey attributed much of that deficit to the prolonged fight for the Drivers’ Championship during the previous season, which continued until the final race.
McLaren had to keep significant resources focused on its 2025 car while competing for the title, delaying the complete transfer of design and development capacity to the MCL40. Several rivals were consequently able to begin concentrating fully on their 2026 projects earlier.
The Woking team then had to recover that lost development time during the opening rounds of the new season. Its progress became increasingly visible before culminating in Hungary, where the size of the upgrade package also caught Mercedes by surprise.
McLaren Baku upgrade will be a turning point
Neil Houldey identified the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as the crucial stage in McLaren’s MCL40 development programme. The team plans to introduce its second major upgrade package of the season at the Baku City Circuit before making a final decision about its technical priorities.
“An important package will arrive for the race in Baku,” Neil Houldey said. “After that, we will decide what to do, also based on the progress we are able to make in aerodynamic development after the summer.
“At that point, we will assess whether it makes sense to prepare another package for the final part of the season or whether it would be better to concentrate our efforts on next year’s car.”
The decision will depend on whether McLaren’s aerodynamic department continues identifying worthwhile areas of performance after the summer break. A successful Baku package could justify another development step for the closing rounds, particularly if the team remains within reach of its championship rivals.
McLaren must balance 2026 ambitions with its 2027 car
The value of producing another substantial MCL40 package will also depend on the car’s competitiveness relative to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. If McLaren believes it has a realistic opportunity to become involved in the Constructors’ Championship fight, extending the development programme would be easier to justify.
However, every resource committed to the current car could affect the preparation of the 2027 project. McLaren must therefore determine whether late-season gains would be large enough to influence the championship or whether an earlier switch would provide a greater long-term benefit.
The actual number of remaining races could also influence that calculation. Continuing geopolitical instability has created uncertainty over the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, which are currently scheduled to conclude the 2026 Formula 1 season.
If either event cannot proceed as planned, the number and location of the final races may change. That would affect how many opportunities McLaren would have to use a late development package and therefore how much value it could provide.
Three races will test whether Hungary was a genuine breakthrough
The first three Grands Prix after the summer break will be essential in determining whether McLaren’s victory in Hungary was an isolated result or proof that the team has genuinely corrected its development direction.
Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid will expose the MCL40 to very different circuit characteristics before the major package arrives in Azerbaijan. McLaren will use those weekends to evaluate the car’s consistency, understand the remaining weaknesses and assess how much performance can still be found through aerodynamic development.
Baku will then provide the clearest indication of McLaren’s potential for the remainder of the campaign. If the new package delivers the expected improvement, the team could continue investing in the MCL40 and attempt to strengthen its position among the championship contenders.
If the upgrade does not produce a sufficiently large step, McLaren may conclude that its resources would be better directed towards 2027. Hungary placed the team back at the centre of the competitive battle, but the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will determine whether that recovery can become a sustained challenge or merely the final highlight before attention turns to next season.
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