The 2026 Formula 1 season is shaping up as expected, with the battle for development deciding the order of races as the competition progresses. Initially, Mercedes dominated the new regulatory cycle with victories in the first six races, but in the last five, they have only secured two wins, with Ferrari and McLaren entering the fray.
Particularly, Ferrari has generated considerable excitement with the improvements they introduced at the beginning of 2026, which has raised questions about how they achieved this under the budget cap. Nevertheless, the Scuderia managed to win both in Barcelona and Silverstone.
Last week, Lando Norris secured a spectacular victory in Hungary, with a 15-second advantage from pole position. His team, McLaren, upgraded five components of their MCL40, including a new profile for the rear wing and a new floor.
The improvement in McLaren’s pace was evident at the Hungaroring, where they achieved their third consecutive victory and could have finished with a double if Oscar Piastri hadn’t retired his car due to a gearbox issue. Their new aerodynamics perfectly adapted to the circuit’s demands, highlighting the importance of an efficient development plan in this season marked by regulatory renewal.
With this regulatory cycle, teams are still adapting to their cars and seeking optimal directions. Andrea Stella, head of McLaren, hopes this competition continues and that development will decide which team will be the fastest by the end of the season, scheduled for early December in Abu Dhabi.
Stella commented that the competitive advance can be attributed to the updates introduced. Nonetheless, he emphasizes that their policy of continuous improvements is key to continuing to compete for victories. Their budgeting strategy is more focused on the race for updates than on the season’s starting point.
It will be interesting to see if the next grand prix in Zandvoort from August 21-23 will bring new significant improvements for McLaren, as will their modifications at Monza with the wing known as the ‘Macarena Wing’. Stella is cautious when predicting whether they will consistently fight against Mercedes and Ferrari, acknowledging that all teams are improving at a similar pace in this context of innovative regulations.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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