McLaren's Big Decision: Will They Sacrifice 2026 to Focus on 2027?
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McLaren's technical director Neil Houldey has confirmed the team will face a crucial crossroads after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Woking outfit, fresh off back-to-back constructors' championships, struggled adapting to the 2026 regulations and didn't snag their first win until Lando Norris dominated Hungary in round 11. Now they're planning significant upgrades for Baku, but those results will determine whether they keep developing the MCL40 or shift focus entirely to next year's car.
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The path forward isn't straightforward. Houldey revealed that McLaren will roll out smaller upgrades across the opening races after the summer break, before that major package arrives in Azerbaijan. Whether those updates deliver enough performance to justify continued development of the current car will be the deciding factor. If they find substantial improvements in aerodynamics, they might push on with end-of-season packages. If not, they'll fully switch to designing their 2027 challenger.
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What makes this decision tricky is the regulations landscape. Next year's F1 will see only minor changes, meaning teams can carry over plenty of learnings from 2026 to 2027. That's good news for McLaren because any development they do now could still benefit their 2027 project. The FIA is banning blown exhaust flaps and clamping down on actuator fairings, but most of the technical regs stay the same. Still, at some point, Houldey admits they'll need to sacrifice 2026 and make 2027 the priority.
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The team is already in early development stages for their 2027 car but hasn't started pouring resources away from the MCL40 yet. For Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the upgrades Houldey's describing could unlock more wins before any potential resource shift. Piastri had his own strong showing at the Hungaroring before gearbox troubles ended his hopes, proving the team's recent developments are working. How McLaren plays this decision could shape their championship fight for the rest of the season.
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