McLaren plans new updates after poor performance in Austin

McLaren has confirmed that it will bring new updates to the MCL40 car for the remaining races of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The team decided to take this step because it has recently struggled to compete at the front. Since Lando Norris missed out on victory in Madrid, McLaren has not reached the podium in the last four races.

Starting eighth at the United States Grand Prix, Norris described the car as the most difficult he has ever driven. Towards the end of the race, Norris had moved up to second with an alternative one-stop strategy, but was passed by Leclerc, Verstappen and Hamilton and dropped to fifth. Oscar Piastri finished seventh.

Team principal Andrea Stella said the updates will be introduced at the Brazilian and Las Vegas races, while only a few parts will be used in Mexico. Stella said the goal is to make podium battles consistent and to reach the competitive level needed to win. The team also stated that the changes made to the front and rear corners in Austin were applied successfully, so there will be no major change to the car for the Mexico Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, most teams have turned their attention to the cars being designed for the 2027 season. McLaren, however, wants to continue developing its current car until the final races. Norris took pole position at Budapest, Zandvoort and Madrid this season, but in those qualifying sessions his biggest margin over the second-placed rival was 0.102 seconds.