Last Updated on April 19 2026, 8:46 am

Stella shuts down exit rumours as McLaren targets Miami reset – Formula 1’s plans for 2026 have been thrown into disarray by more than just on-track performance. A pause in the calendar, prompted by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, led to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

While there is still talk of rescheduling the Jeddah race later in the season, teams have instead been given an unexpected opportunity to regroup.

For McLaren, this timing may be crucial. The reigning world champions have had a turbulent start to their title defence, including the highly unusual scenario of failing to get either car off the line in China. However, there have also been clear signs of improvement, most notably in Japan, where Oscar Piastri surged to second place after leading for much of the race.

With the championship set to resume in Miami in early May, attention now turns to what could be a defining weekend. Despite the sprint format limiting preparation time, every top team is expected to arrive with substantial upgrade packages. Nevertheless, Andrea Stella does not anticipate a dramatic shift in the pecking order.

 

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McLaren disadvantage exlained

Stella has been open about the reasons behind McLaren’s slow start, highlighting two main issues that have held the team back compared to their rivals as reported by Italian website Autoracer.

“The first part of the season presented some difficulties, essentially for two reasons. Firstly, it took us longer than expected to learn to fully exploit the potential offered by the power unit. Furthermore, we encountered several reliability issues in this area, which impacted not only the results, but also the pace of our learning process.”

The MCL40 continues to run a Mercedes power unit, but, unlike the works team, McLaren has had to adapt without the benefit of full integration during the design phase. This has been evident in the opening races, where Mercedes has looked more comfortable with the new regulations from the outset.

 

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Stella’s second explanation centres on the car’s development philosophy

“The second reason is that the MCL40’s design was influenced by our continued championship fight until the final 2025 race, as well as by a different design approach. Specifically, we wanted to ensure that the launch version of the car provided a solid foundation for development.”

This long-term focus, combined with the demands of a late title fight in 2025, has inevitably delayed McLaren’s return to competitiveness.

“As we know, there’s still a long way to go with the new 2026 regulations. This puts us at a disadvantage compared to rivals like Mercedes and Ferrari, who were better prepared for the first round of the season than us.”

 

 

Signs of Progress After a Difficult Opening

Despite these setbacks, Stella was keen to highlight the positives, particularly the team’s resilience.

“Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the character shown by the team and drivers, which is reminiscent of our achievements in 2025 when we won both titles. Once again, we faced difficulties together, both internally and with our partners at Mercedes HPP.”

That unity has already begun to translate into results. Suzuka marked a turning point, with Piastri delivering McLaren’s first podium of the season.

“Furthermore, in Suzuka, we saw the first signs of progress. We scored our first podium of the season, thanks to Oscar’s second place.”

Beyond the headline result, Stella pointed to encouraging trends in development.

“At the same time, we also noted that the car’s development pace seems very promising. There is still work to be done on reliability and performance optimisation, but I believe we are moving in the right direction.”

One key factor is the weight of the car, with the MCL40 currently being heavier than ideal. The upcoming upgrade packages are expected to address this issue and unlock valuable performance gains.

 

McLaren’s Upgrade Plan and Miami Constraints

McLaren’s recovery strategy has long been tied to the introduction of updates during the North American races.

“Our winter plans already anticipated that the first updates to the car compared to the original version, which has essentially been on track since the tests in Bahrain, would be introduced at the May races in North America, first in Miami and then in Montreal.”

Rather than a single overhaul, the team will introduce a series of aerodynamic improvements across both events.

“We plan to introduce a complete package of aerodynamic solutions, which will be implemented gradually between the two Grands Prix.”

 

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However, Miami presents a unique challenge due to its Sprint format

‘It certainly won’t be easy to introduce them into two Sprint weekends, given the limited time available for comparative testing with only one hour of free practice each weekend.’

With such restricted track time, validating upgrades becomes significantly more difficult. Nevertheless, Stella is confident about the work done behind the scenes.

‘But we are confident that what we bring to the track will guarantee the performance we expect.’

Crucially, he also tempered expectations regarding the broader competitive landscape.

‘That said, the other ten teams have also had the same opportunity to develop their packages. I don’t expect major changes in the pecking order, but we aim to reduce the performance gap with the leaders in the coming races.’

 

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Customer Team Reality in a New Era

McLaren’s position as a customer team has inevitably impacted its performance in the early stages of the season. Stella acknowledged that teams designing both the chassis and the power unit together naturally have an advantage.

“From the outset, it was plausible that those with the opportunity to design both the car and the power unit simultaneously would have an advantage, particularly in the early stages of a new regulatory framework.”

However, he rejected the idea that this limits McLaren’s long-term prospects.

“The decision not to be a factory team has its pros and cons, but McLaren’s results over the last two years demonstrate that even a customer team can win championships.”

History, he argues, is on McLaren’s side.

“We’ve already seen recently that we’re able to develop the car to a level sufficient to compensate for significant performance deficits, even looking ahead to 2023 or 2024.”

While the gap may take time to close, Stella is confident in the team’s trajectory.

“It may take time, but we have everything we need to be successful once again as a customer team.”

 

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Lambiase Arrival Sparks Debate

Much of the recent discussion off the track has centred on the future arrival of Gianpiero Lambiase in 2028. His move from Red Bull has sparked speculation about McLaren’s leadership structure, and even Stella’s own future.

However, Stella was clear about how he views the appointment:

“His arrival will bring a great deal of expertise and long-term potential to the team. At the same time, it’s further confirmation of how attractive McLaren has become for the best talent in Formula 1”.

Rather than replacing existing leadership, Lambiase will strengthen it.

“Gianpiero’s arrival is the icing on the cake for a team that already has all the right ingredients.”

He also clarified the structure that Lambiase will join.

“He will provide key support in the role of Chief Racing Officer, a position I currently hold alongside that of Team Principal.”

McLaren’s internal philosophy remains central to this approach.

“Zak and I have created a flat team structure where it is crucial to ensure that all leaders have the right autonomy. At the same time, however, we need to ensure that they have the necessary long-term support.”

“With this approach, it goes without saying that the dual role I currently hold would not be sustainable in the long term.”

However, rather than signalling an exit, Lambiase’s arrival ensures continuity.

 

Ferrari Links Dismissed: “It Made Me Smile”

Rumours of a potential return to Ferrari have also circulated, suggesting that Stella could be tempted away by lucrative offers. The Italian, however, dismissed such claims with humour:

“Honestly, some of the recent rumours, including those regarding astronomical salaries and phantom pre-contracts, have made me smile.”

He even suggested that the speculation had arrived earlier than usual.

“It almost seems like the ‘silly season’, which usually begins before summer, has arrived early!”

In a characteristically colourful analogy, Stella added:

“It’s as if some jealous pastry chef has tried to ruin the preparation of a good dessert at the McLaren patisserie.”

The conclusion was clear.

“However, we know very well how to distinguish good ingredients from poisoned biscuits…”

 

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No revolution is expected in Miami, but progress is coming

As Formula 1 prepares to resume, McLaren’s position remains finely balanced. The team has not yet matched the consistency of Ferrari or Mercedes, but the gap is far from insurmountable.

Stella’s message remains consistent: realism, patience and confidence in the process.

While Miami may not deliver a dramatic shake-up in the standings, it represents the first real opportunity for McLaren to demonstrate the effectiveness of its development plan.

If Suzuka was the first sign of progress, the upcoming races will reveal whether McLaren can maintain this momentum and begin to re-establish itself at the forefront of the field.

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