McLaren shifts upgrade plan over straight-line loss

McLaren has changed its upgrade direction as Andrea Stella examines a reported straight-line deficit to Mercedes despite the same power unit.

McLaren has changed its upgrade approach, with Andrea Stella confirming the shift in direction, according to Formula1.com. The report said the team expects to see the first effects of that revised path soon, as McLaren adjusts how it develops the car rather than pointing to one single fix.

Autosport also reported that Stella said McLaren still needs to understand why it is losing about one-and-a-half tenths to Mercedes on the straights despite both teams using the same power unit. That leaves the focus on car performance and efficiency rather than any difference in engine supply, although no specific cause has been confirmed.

The comparison matters given Mercedes' long record in Formula 1. The German constructor has raced across 19 seasons from 1954 to 2026, recording 138 wins and eight titles, so McLaren's reference point is one of the category's most successful teams as it works through a technical reset.