McLaren announces a "completely new MCL40" for Miami

McLaren The team didn't rest during the forced break imposed by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. The reigning World Champion team took advantage of these five extra weeks to accelerate its development program, with a clearly stated objective as outlined by team principal Andrea Stella: “Our intention has always been to present a completely new car—particularly in terms of aerodynamic improvements—for the North American races. The change in the calendar has helped us to some extent, just as it has certainly helped all the other teams. But I can say that, overall, in Miami and Canada, we will see a completely new MCL40.”

The context of this delay is well documented. McLaren entered the 2026 season with an underdeveloped car, a direct consequence of a Drivers' Championship battle that went to the final race in 2025 and monopolized the team's resources. Added to this was the complexity of mastering the new power unit. Mercedes Benz — a difficulty that materialized as early as China, where neither Lando Norris, neither Oscar piastri They were unable to start. Since then, progress has been significant, with Piastri able to fight for victory in Japan before finishing second behind Antonelli. The foundation is there; the developments must now allow them to take another step forward.

Stella, however, tempers expectations regarding the potential impact of these developments on the hierarchy: “I want to emphasize that this is exactly what I would expect from most of our competitors; therefore, it won’t necessarily shake up the hierarchy. It will simply be a matter of seeing who has managed to gain performance in the same amount of time. We also have ground to make up with Mercedes, and to some extent with…” Classic Ferrari for sale Also. " McLaren currently sits third in the Constructors' Championship, 89 points behind Mercedes. A significant gap, but one the team hopes to close starting in Miami.

Improved dialogue with Mercedes HPP regarding the powertrain

The other major project of recent weeks concerns mastering the Mercedes power unit, whose integration with a customer team naturally presents delays compared to the factory team. Andrea Stella is reassuring on this point: “Regarding our collaboration with Mercedes HPP, and even the joint development of simulation tools, we have made considerable progress compared to our situation in Australia. At the start of the season, there was perhaps a delay, an inevitable consequence of our status as a customer team when the development schedule was very tight, and that was something we were prepared to accept. But now, at this advanced stage of the season, I think we have closed that gap, and we should have all the necessary tools to get the most out of the power unit.”

A double improvement—aerodynamic and engine-related—comes at just the right time for McLaren, as Mercedes seems to have found a consistency that is difficult to match. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who have both expressed their confidence in the team's ability to bounce back, will have their first opportunity in Miami, from May 1st to 3rd, to translate the promises of spring development into concrete results on the track.

ALSO READ > Zak Brown versus sister stables: "I don't think it's good for the sport."