Andrea Stella, the team principal of McLaren, has taken a moment to address the rest of the grid as the 2026 Formula 1 season heads into its second half. He stressed that the Woking outfit now possesses the kind of momentum that, once captured, can be sustained through the remaining races, and he warned competitors that McLaren will be eager to keep that pace. The British squad, fresh off their first win of the year at the Hungarian Grand Prix, saw reigning drivers’ champion Lando Norris dominate the Hungaroring.
That victory, which arrived just before the summer hiatus, narrowed the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 91 points and reduced the deficit to Mercedes – the team that supplies McLaren’s power unit – to 159 points. To stay in contention for the drivers’ crown, Norris must also overtake Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Charles Leclerc, while Ferrari sit 72 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ tally. Both margins are sizable, yet Stella believes the performance surge following a comprehensive upgrade package in Budapest signals that McLaren can continue to challenge over the next twelve rounds, starting with the Dutch Grand Prix sprint weekend on 21‑23 August.
When asked if his team could re‑enter the fight for the world titles, Stella replied, “It’s a tough question, but the answer is clear. If we can keep delivering the kind of result we saw in Budapest, we still have a lot to play for.
The key is to keep developing the MCL40 and stay ahead of rivals who are also pushing hard with their own updates.” He added that the ultimate outcome will hinge on how effective the solutions they bring to the track prove to be. “We struggled more than we expected early in the season, but once we find momentum we have shown we can hold onto it,” he said. Looking back, McLaren entered the same period last year in a very different position.
They headed into the summer break with a 299‑point lead in the constructors’ standings and Oscar Piastri leading teammate Norris in what appeared to be a two‑horse battle for the drivers’ title. However, Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who was 104 points behind Piastri with nine races left, mounted a dramatic comeback and finished the season just two points shy of Norris and 11 ahead of Piastri. That experience taught Stella that large gaps can be erased quickly, especially when 546 points remain on offer across the final dozen races. Stella reminded his staff, “We have twelve races left, plenty of opportunities.
The gaps are big, but we learned last year that nothing is set in stone. If we’ve built a new display cabinet for trophies at the McLaren Technology Centre, we have a responsibility to keep filling it.” The Hungarian upgrade package, which the team had downplayed before the event, spoke for itself. Norris not only secured pole position but also posted blistering lap times en route to a 15‑second victory over Verstappen. The win could have been even larger had Norris not been delayed by teammate Piastri early in the race, who overtook him on the opening lap and forced a brief defensive stint.
Reflecting on the development process, Stella explained, “There wasn’t a single moment that changed everything. It was a growing awareness of the scale of the challenge and the adjustments we needed. Ironically, the forced break in April gave us the chance to focus entirely on analysing the MCL40’s performance and to recognise where we had to redirect or strengthen development.” He highlighted the Budapest weekend as the turning point, not only because of the win but because the aerodynamic package introduced at the Hungaroring represented a decisive shift in the car’s direction and yielded a noticeable competitive edge. Stella also praised the collaboration with Mercedes on the power unit.
“Over the past few months we’ve deepened our understanding of the new Mercedes HPP engine and worked closely with our technical partners to extract the maximum performance,” he said. “It’s been a long journey with ups and downs, but we’re finally starting to see the fruits of that labour. Optimising the power unit will remain a complex task throughout the season, but we’re confident we can keep improving.” The Formula 1 calendar resumes after the summer break with a sprint format at the Dutch Grand Prix, where every session will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a contract and cancel at any time. McLaren’s aim is to carry the confidence from Budapest into the Netherlands and beyond, hoping that the momentum they have built will translate into more podiums, points, and perhaps a shot at the championship titles as the season reaches its climax.