McLaren isn’t counting themselves out just yet, and their team principal just dropped a major hint that they learned everything they need to know from Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Andrea Stella has a clear message for fans who think 2026 is already over. After watching Lando Norris dominate in Hungary while Oscar Piastri cruised until a mechanical issue, he believes the second half of the season could flip everything upside down.
McLaren sits 159 points behind in the constructors’ standings, but Stella isn’t panicking. He says the real battle is in the factory and the wind tunnel, where development will decide the champion.
He reminded everyone that last year, it was McLaren on the receiving end of a Red Bull comeback. Now, they’re hoping to turn the tables and chase down Mercedes the same way Verstappen chased them.
“There are still 12 races left,” Stella said, pointing out that 546 points are still up for grabs. He’s told his team that if they built a new trophy cabinet, they have a duty to keep filling it.
Do they have enough time to close that gap, or is history about to repeat itself?
