McLaren upgrade shift as Verstappen talk persists

Formula1.com says McLaren has changed its upgrade direction, while BBC Sport and Autosport frame Max Verstappen links as speculation, not a move.

Formula1.com reported that McLaren team principal Andrea Stella had confirmed a change of direction in the team’s upgrade approach. The development comes with Lando Norris fifth in the 2026 drivers' championship on 97 points; across his Formula 1 career, the McLaren driver has 11 wins and 16 pole positions.

Separate from that technical update, reports linking Max Verstappen with McLaren remain unconfirmed. BBC Sport reported that Norris said he was paying the price this year for the effort behind his 2025 title and that McLaren would be a different vibe for Verstappen. Autosport also reported that Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028 and treated the McLaren link as rumour rather than a confirmed driver-market move.

Verstappen is seventh in the 2026 standings on 76 points and has 71 wins and 51 poles from 242 Formula 1 starts. With no official announcement from the driver or either team in the supplied sources, any move to McLaren remains reported speculation.