Unlike some of its rivals, Andrea Stella guaranteed that McLaren is not overly concerned about the cost cap issue in the 2026 Formula 1 season. However, even after highlighting that the team is in a “comfortable position to invest in development” for the MCL40, he explained that other factors come into play — such as wind tunnel time, for instance — with an eye already on the 2027 car.
With half the year behind them and numerous upgrades already introduced, teams are gradually beginning to shift their focus to the next championship. The papaya squad fielded few significant updates in the opening rounds, largely due to reliability concerns and difficulties in extracting maximum performance from the Mercedes power unit, which were their primary areas of focus. However, for last Sunday’s (July 26) Hungarian GP, they tested their own Macarena wing and introduced a new floor, which was seen as crucial to Lando Norris’s victory in Budapest.
If teams like Red Bull are already setting their sights on 2027, as Laurent Mekies revealed, is it time for McLaren to do the same? Well, if it depended solely on the financial headroom available, the current car would still have a considerable development path ahead. But the issue goes far beyond that, as Stella detailed in an interview with Dutch outlet GPblog.
“In our approach to the cost cap, we knew that 2026 wouldn’t be so much about the starting point, but rather about the race to develop the car throughout the season. That’s why we wanted to leave enough margin in our budget projection to ensure we had the capacity to invest in car upgrades,” he began.
“So, regardless of the additional funds permitted by the regulation changes for the 2027 power units, we were already in a comfortable position to invest in the MCL40’s development. The remaining budget margin for next year can be utilized, but obviously, care must be taken not to compromise the resources required for the modifications that will need to be implemented,” he pointed out.
“If you want to focus your efforts on this season, that is certainly something that can be brought forward and capitalized on. But I believe that, at a certain point, it also comes down to which season takes priority. Because the budget is not the only constraint,” he continued.
“There are also restrictions from a development standpoint: which car do you put in the wind tunnel, next year’s or this year’s? Part of that answer depends on where you are directing your focus: on this season, or entirely on the next,” the McLaren Team Principal concluded.
Formula 1 is now on its summer break. The category resumes action for the 2026 season from August 21 to 23 with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
