McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has put the rest of the Formula 1 grid on notice, expressing confidence his team can build on a dominant Lando Norris victory in Hungary heading into the summer break. The win McLaren’s first of the 2026 season has reignited hope that Norris can defend his drivers’ title over the remaining 12 rounds, starting with the Dutch Grand Prix from 21-23 August.
Where the Title Fight Stands
Norris’ Hungary win pulled him back to within 91 points of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, while McLaren closed the gap to Antonelli’s Mercedes team to 159 points in the constructors’ standings. To reclaim the drivers’ title, Norris would also need to overhaul Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Charles Leclerc, with Ferrari sitting just 72 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ battle.
Both gaps remain sizeable, but Norris’ performance following a significant car upgrade in Budapest has given Stella genuine belief that McLaren can sustain strong form through the second half of the season. Asked whether his team can fight back into title contention, Stella said the answer depends on continuing to develop the MCL40 effectively and staying ahead of rivals in the ongoing competition over car upgrades, noting that McLaren had generally struggled with that side of development in the season’s first half but has historically been able to build on momentum once it’s found.
A Reversal From Last Year’s Story
McLaren’s position looks strikingly different compared to this time last season, when the team held a commanding 299-point lead in the constructors’ championship and Oscar Piastri appeared to be cruising toward the drivers’ title ahead of team-mate Norris. That advantage evaporated dramatically, as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen trailing Piastri by 104 points with nine races remaining mounted a remarkable late fightback to finish the season just two points behind Norris and 11 points ahead of Piastri.
Stella pointed to that experience as a reminder that plenty can still change with 546 points still up for grabs across the remaining 12 races. He said the team feels a responsibility to keep adding to their recent run of success, joking that having recently set up a new trophy cabinet at the McLaren Technology Centre, the team now feels obliged to keep filling it.
Hungary’s Upgrade: A “Change of Direction”
McLaren had deliberately downplayed expectations around their Hungary upgrade package beforehand, only for Norris to take pole position and dominate the race weekend, eventually beating Verstappen by 15 seconds a margin that could have been even larger had he not been delayed early on after being passed by Piastri on the opening lap.
Stella explained the upgrade wasn’t triggered by any single moment, but rather a gradually building recognition of how significant the team’s development challenges were and where the car’s development focus needed to shift. He credited an enforced break in April with giving the team valuable time to fully analyse the MCL40’s shortcomings, describing the Budapest weekend as the clear highlight of the season’s first half not just for the result itself, but because the aerodynamic package introduced there reflected a genuine shift in development direction that has driven a real improvement in competitiveness.
Progress With the New Power Unit
Stella also praised the ongoing collaboration with engine supplier Mercedes HPP, saying the team has spent recent months deepening its understanding of the new power unit and working closely with technical partners to extract the best performance from it. He described it as a long process with its share of setbacks that is now beginning to pay off, while cautioning that fully optimising the power unit is likely to remain a complex challenge throughout the rest of the 2026 season.
Quick Facts: McLaren’s Title Fight
- Latest result: Lando Norris wins Hungarian Grand Prix (McLaren’s first win of 2026)
- Norris’ gap to leader Antonelli: 91 points
- McLaren’s gap to Mercedes (constructors): 159 points
- Ferrari’s gap to Mercedes (constructors): 72 points
- Points remaining: 546 across 12 races
- Next race: Dutch Grand Prix, 21-23 August
