McLaren name six crucial reasons it is 'optimistic' for 2026 F1 season

Andrea Stella has effusively praised McLaren's technical team, contending that it is one of the strongest groups he has worked with during his career in F1.

The team principal of the Woking-based squad singled out six key players from the department as part of an explanation of why the reigning constructors' champion is "optimistic" heading into the 2026 season, despite the comprehensive rewrite of the regulations.

The power unit rules have been completely revamped, for the first time since 2014, but as a Mercedes engine customer, McLaren only needs to incorporate the power unit and gearbox supplied into its chassis design.

However, with the aerodynamic regulations also overhauled, and the uncertainty surrounding the performance of each engine manufacturer, there is no guarantee McLaren will remain competitive.

The ace the team has up its sleeve is that it has pulled off a recovery before, after a poor start to the previous rules cycle.

A developmental wrong turn during the first season of the contemporary ground effects era left McLaren with six months' worth of ground to make up.

But it succeeded, and by 2025 — the final year of the era — it was dominating F1, having won the constructors' title the year prior.

"These kinds of achievements are, obviously, the result of the development of the entire team," Stella told media, including RacingNews365, after Lando Norris' drivers' crown made it three championships in two seasons. "But for once, I would like to make a special mention of the technical team.

"The technical team ultimately conceived, designed, and developed a car from being the ninth or 10th best car at the start of 2023.

"It was one of the best cars at the end of 2023, and then it became the best car gradually; the best car definitely in the first part of 2025.

"If anything, Red Bull gave us an important challenge in the second part of 2025, when we had already stopped the development [of the MCL39] for some time."

The six crucial reasons

The Italian elaborated on his point, picking out six people who have helped contribute to the team turning around its fortunes in fewer than two years.

To Stella, it is a reason to be quietly confident heading into 2026, despite the completely fresh slate for all 11 teams. 

"The technical team at McLaren is particularly strong," the 54-year-old added.

"We can benefit from the contribution of Peter Prodromou [technical director for aerodynamics], Rob Marshall [chief designer], Neil Houldey [technical director for engineering], Mark Ingham [director for design], Giuseppe Pesce [director of aerodynamics and chief of staff], Mark Temple [technical director for performance]...

"I think, from this point of view, this is one of the strongest technical departments that I could have been part of in my career, 26 years in Formula 1.

"And this means that — while the specifics of the current regulations will not necessarily apply to the future — the working way, the standards, the approach to the development of the car, to the objectives from a technical point of view, they do carry into the future, and this makes us optimistic for the 2026 season."