McLaren confident: 'We are in a good position' ahead of key 2026 decision

After the summer break, another key question awaits Formula 1 teams: when to stop investing in the 2026 car and when to begin focusing on the 2027 challenger.

Team boss Stella says his team is in a good position. In McLaren's Q&A, he explained: "In a sense, this year it is easier to find a middle ground between the two requirements. Whilst in 2025 we were faced with the need to strike a balance between two extremes – pushing right to the limit to win the world championship and having to design a new car practically from scratch – this year the transition between the two projects is much smoother, given that the regulatory changes are relatively minor.

McLaren's Technical Director of Applied Engineering, Neil Houldey, has also addressed the situation. He is confident that, following the team's last major package for Baku, McLaren can still find areas to improve the 2026 car without compromising its preparations for 2027.

He explained: "It’s an open point at the moment. We’ll be looking at where we are, where our competitors are, and where we see the opportunities. I think there’s a good chance we’ll have upgrades beyond Baku that can dig more performance out of this car, without impacting 2027.