McLaren team principal Andrea Stella - Photo: Race Pictures

Stella: 'Red Bull are happier to give up on 2026 a bit'

22:59, 24 Oct

Updated: 23:39, 24 Oct

byOlly Darcy

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes that Red Bull "are happier to give up a little bit" on the 2026 season after bringing late-season upgrades in 2025.

"Perhaps they had more margin to develop efficiently, focusing on 2025."

The Austrian team brought a floor upgrade to the Italian Grand Prix after the summer break, revitalising their season and the pace coming from the RB21, allowing Max Verstappen to cut the championship lead on Oscar Piastri from 104 points to just 40 points.

McLaren, who sealed the constructors' championship back at the Singapore Grand Prix, have not brought any updates in recent Grands Prix, with Stella explaining in the paddock at the Mexico City Grand Prix that focusing on 2025 changes would have hindered their 2026 development.

The Italian also stated that Red Bull may be happier to focus more on their 2025 car, which could then lead to some potential issues for their 2026 machine, the season where major regulation changes come into play.

McLaren earned back-to-back constructors' titles for the first time since the 1990 and 1991 seasons - Photo: Race Pictures

"The 2026 project would be heavily compromised. We want to win championships in the future," said the Italian.

"I think that when we look at Red Bull, and when we consider some of the complaints they had at the start of the season, perhaps they had more margin to develop efficiently, focusing on 2025, and perhaps they are happier to give up a little bit on 2026 because they might have some other issues for 2026 whereby they say, ‘Let's focus on ‘25’.

"To win championships in the future, you need to have a competitive car, and I think we have been very considerate in the timing of switching our full resources to 2026."

Stella 'realistic' in update shift to 2026

McLaren's dominance throughout the majoirty of the 2025 season has seen them focus on their 2026 car earlier than many other teams, resulting in fewer upgrades in the second half of the campaign.

As a result of sealing a second constructors' title in as many years, they will see less testing and resource time compared to the rest of the grid, something also taken into account by Stella.

"We also don't have to forget that by being the champions, we are the most restricted by the regulations in terms of the wind tunnel allowance and the CFD allowance. It's not like we have an unlimited amount of resources that we can use," continued the 54-year-old.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri celebrating McLaren's 2025 constructors' title - Photo: Race Pictures

"So, we need to be pondering in the way we allocate resources from this year to next year, because it comes from the same port when it comes to CFD and aerodynamic wind tunnel testing.

"Like I said before, because we were so much in the diminishing returns, we needed to be realistic and shift our attention to 2026."

However, with a charging Verstappen and Red Bull cutting the lead to Piastri in the drivers' championship, Stella and McLaren will be hoping they can find their first win since the Dutch Grand Prix.

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