McLaren To Phase Its Upgrades: Aiming For Podiums This Season And The Right Concept For 2027
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says the team will bring its upgrades in phases, aiming both to close the gap to the front and to test fundamental aerodynamic concepts for its 2027 car. Lando Norris rates the car as the fourth-fastest on the grid.
McLaren hopes its upgrade plan can do two things at once: close the gap to the front of the grid and help it work out which aerodynamic concept to target for next year. Team principal Andrea Stella laid out his thinking on the plan following the Singapore race.
Norris: “The fourth-fastest car”
Reigning champion Lando Norris said he believes McLaren has the fourth-fastest car on the grid. Racing in that position takes a great deal of work behind the wheel, he said, which makes it both draining and mentally exhausting.
Stella: “No big surprises”
Stella said the team was not surprised by its lack of performance in recent races. Singapore was where they expected to be, he said, particularly given Red Bull’s successful upgrades. In Stella’s view, Verstappen and Red Bull are simply taking advantage of the upgrades they have delivered. Describing the season as a game of “ping-pong”, he said the team that brings an upgrade can take a small step forward, and that an upgrade can be worth around three tenths of a second.
Upgrades will be phased
Stella confirmed that McLaren plans to deliver upgrades, which he hopes will fill the gap to the best cars and put the team in a position to fight for podiums on merit. Whether they can fight for victory would probably only become clear in the final three races, he added, because the upgrades will be delivered in phases.
A dual aim: now and 2027
According to Stella, bringing upgrades is important for the team’s close fight in the constructors’ standings. At the same time, they want to prove some fundamental concepts on track that will carry into next year’s car. At this level of maturity, he said, the cars are being pushed in aerodynamic development, and the team wants to track-test some of the fundamentals for 2027.
Stella also warned that some upgrades may not work. He said aerodynamics has become quite complicated, since development began on 2 January 2025 and the team is now well into 2026.
The team’s track record
McLaren has a strong track record of in-season upgrades, having made significant progress that way in 2024 and 2025. After a slow start this year, the team climbed back with the upgrades it brought to Hungary.