Stella ramps up pressure on rivals with explosive McLaren message

The McLaren team principal has refused to rule his side out of contention despite what he described as a challenging start to the 2026 campaign. Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, the 55-year-old praised both Ferrari and Mercedes for their early-season form, while insisting McLaren are determined to fight back. Stella also reflected on McLaren’s resilience during the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, suggesting a similar turnaround remains possible.

“The championship is not written off. We have only done three races. In these three races there was a team more ready, more advanced than the others, Mercedes. Ferrari has done a good job, I would say, trying to be competitive, at times fighting for victory. The championship is not written off; we are very determined to make sure that we can be part of the game again, to win. There are no limits. Maybe another 2024 is possible,” he said.

Currently, McLaren lie third in the Constructors’ standings with 46 points, 44 behind Ferrari, who are in second place, and 89 adrift of first-placed Mercedes. In 2024, the McLaren team were able to overcome a similar points deficit to clinch the Constructors’ Championship ahead of Red Bull Racing, who had led for much of the season.

Earlier, Lando Norris also refused to concede defeat in the Drivers’ Championship, insisting McLaren still have time to close the gap. The British driver expressed optimism that, despite not yet being where they want to be, the team’s trajectory is heading in the right direction.

Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri have endured relatively difficult starts to the current campaign, with both drivers failing to start the Chinese Grand Prix. However, at the race in Japan, the pair finished in the points, with Piastri securing the team’s maiden podium of the campaign.

Want to stay up to date with the latest events from the F1 paddock? GPblog’s Paddock Update is the place to be.

Follow and subscribe to our channels on Spotify and YouTube so you don’t miss a scoop as the actions and reactions continue across the Formula 1 scene.

Check out the latest episode of our Paddock Update here 👇