McLaren send F1 rivals warning with championship pledge

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has asserted his team will continue to develop its current car despite its strong position in the pecking order.

The Woking-based squad has enjoyed a dominant start to the current campaign and is currently leading both F1 championships.

As well as its strong one-lap pace, McLaren has been incredibly strong over a race distance with its ability to prolong its tyre life setting it apart from the competition.

However, with a major regulation shift on the horizon for 2026, teams will soon move focus onto next year's car  - but Stella stated McLaren will continue to add new parts to the current challenger.

“I think the way we are managing this – to be honest, I don’t expect it to be very different from what’s happening in the other nine teams,” he told media including RacingNews365.

“We are still definitely keeping interest and momentum on this year’s car because, like I said before, we are not giving anything for granted. 

“We need to improve the car, especially in some conditions, and we are planning to do so with some upgrades.”

McLaren wary of development risk

Like all teams, McLaren has already started construction of the new car but is continuing to balance the focus with the current challenger.

A risk exists of switching resources to the 2026 car too late - a situation that McLaren is all too aware of.

As it chases its first double championship success since 1998, Stella admitted it too already has a keen eye on next year's car while also hoping to maintain the advantage of the current machine.

“At the same time, there’s so much to do on the 2026 car that, pretty much from the second of January, we were working on the 2026 car. 

“At the moment, we’ve been trying to use the resources we have in the most logical and efficient way. 

“At some stage, we will shift our focus entirely to 2026. But definitely, even if the championships are in a good position, we have not given up attention on this year’s car.”