McLaren Plans Major Overhaul for Miami and Canadian Grand Prix

Andrea Stella, McLaren's Team Principal, has unveiled the team's ambitious plan to roll out a "completely new car" for the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix. This move comes as McLaren aims to close the gap with front-runners such as Mercedes, who currently lead the pack.

Starting the season with an undercooked car was a consequence of last year's intense Drivers' Championship battle that stretched to the final race. This, along with adapting to a new power unit from long-time partner Mercedes, left McLaren on the back foot early in the season. The team even missed the start of the Chinese Grand Prix due to technical difficulties.

Despite these setbacks, McLaren showed promising pace in Japan, where Oscar Piastri came close to clinching victory, ultimately finishing second behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. Benefiting from a five-week gap in the calendar, McLaren has been able to concentrate on developing a new aerodynamic package, poised to take advantage of the significant potential offered by the latest aerodynamic regulations.

"We always intended to deliver a completely new car, especially focusing on aerodynamic upgrades, for the North American races," Stella shared during a media event at McLaren's Woking headquarters. "The recent calendar changes have been beneficial, allowing us, and presumably other teams, to focus more on upgrades rather than constant racing obligations."

Stella tempered expectations, noting that other teams would likely bring updates as well. "Across Miami and Canada, expect to see an entirely new MCL40. But this may not shift the pecking order; it's about who can extract the most performance in the same time frame," he said. "We need to catch up with Mercedes and Ferrari, but our development progress has been encouraging."

McLaren currently holds third place in the Constructors' Championship, trailing Mercedes by 89 points. The team has made strides in optimizing their new 2026 power units, with Stella optimistic about future gains. "We've made significant progress in working with HPP and developing simulation tools. Now, we are much better prepared than at the start of the season," he noted.

Initially, McLaren faced a disadvantage as a customer team with the new power unit, but Stella believes they've now closed that gap. "We were prepared for the initial challenges and worked constructively with HPP. Now, we have all the necessary tools to maximize our power unit's potential," he concluded.

With these updates, McLaren hopes to present a more competitive front in the upcoming races, building on the solid performance displayed in Japan.