McLaren defiant on title hopes despite ‘below expectation’ F1 2026 start

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted the season has been “definitely below” expectations at this point, but he is not writing off a title challenge yet.

Listing the issues facing the team, with Oscar Piastri having not started in Australia, neither he nor Lando Norris making it off the line in China and both drivers being in differing incidents in Canada, Norris already sits 73 points behind Kimi Antonelli at the top of the championship, with Piastri a further 10 off the pace.

McLaren still believes in 2026 Formula 1 title challenge

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As a result of the team’s issues so far in 2026, five out of a possible 10 grand prix finishes have either been outside the points or the drivers have not made the chequered flag.

Despite this, however, McLaren still sits third in the early Constructors’ standings, with three podiums having also come the team’s way so far this season.

Coming into the year as the back-to-back Constructors’ champions and Norris holding the Drivers’ crown, though, Stella acknowledged the team’s aspirations were loftier than has been achieved so far in 2026.

He remains optimistic, though, about Norris and Piastri being able to climb back into contention for the title later in the year, emphasising there is still plenty of time for fortune to turn back in McLaren’s favour.

“The start of the season has been challenging,” he said.

“We have had issues of a different kind, like if you think the first race [Australia], we had the issues with Oscar, as he was in the laps to the grid.

“Then China, it was a painful one, a problem on the electrical side of the power unit. In Canada, we had issues pretty much in all areas of racing, from the sporting racing side to reliability and an accident, so there’s definitely lots to take away and review.

“At the same time, there’s encouraging indication in terms of the development of the car and how much we are learning in terms of power unit exploitation.

“It’s definitely below what would have been our expectation to be in contention for the championship, but at the same time, we want to take the positives.

“It’s still five races out of at least 22 – we will see if the Middle East races will be recovered, so we don’t think very much of what’s been, we just try to learn every day, such that for the next race we are as prepared as possible, and we are definitely believers that the championship is not signed off.

“We want to be in this championship, and we want the championship to be decided in Abu Dhabi, and I think this is a strong determination that we have at McLaren, and we want to make this happen.”

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McLaren will celebrate its upcoming 1000th race start in Formula 1 in Monaco this weekend, with every living McLaren race winner in Formula 1 having been invited onto the grid on Thursday as its current challenger is due to sit alongside the team’s first car, the M2B.

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