By Holly Wright

Twelve months ago, McLaren were the benchmark in Formula One. 

World champions and the team everyone else was trying to catch, Andrea Stella’s outfit entered the new 2026 regulations, expecting to fight for victories. 

Instead, they have found themselves chasing Mercedes and Ferrari while battling a string of reliability headaches that have undermined their campaign.

The question now is simple: what has gone wrong at McLaren, and what must they do to get back into contention?

Reliability Problems Continue to Hurt

While outright pace has been an issue, reliability has arguably been the biggest frustration for McLaren so far this season.

The team suffered a disastrous double non-start in China due to electrical issues and have since endured further setbacks. 

Lando Norris retired in Canada with a gearbox problem before another retirement in Monaco following a power unit failure. 

Team principal Andrea Stella has stressed that the failures have had different root causes, but the repeated issues have exposed weaknesses in the team’s package under Formula One’s new regulations.

Oscar Piastri’s season has also been heavily disrupted by these issues. 

He recorded DNS results in both Australia and China, immediately putting him on the back foot in the standings. 

Whilst there have been flashes of recovery, the lack of clean race weekends has made it difficult for McLaren to build momentum.

Those problems have proved particularly costly because Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have largely maximised their opportunities when reliability has held together. McLaren, meanwhile, have repeatedly left points on the table.

The new power unit era has also introduced another complication. 

McLaren switched to Mercedes power, and Stella has admitted that being a customer team has created challenges that the team had not previously experienced. 

Unlike a works operation, McLaren have had fewer opportunities to integrate development and reliability solutions with the power unit supplier, which can slow progress when problems arise.

The Pace Deficit Is About More Than Reliability

Even when the cars have finished races, McLaren have rarely looked capable of matching Mercedes over a full weekend.

According to Stella, the biggest performance deficit lies in aerodynamic load and efficiency rather than the power unit itself.

Early in the season, McLaren were regularly between half a second and one second per lap slower than Mercedes, while Ferrari have also generally enjoyed an advantage in race pace and tyre management.

Piastri’s results further highlight that inconsistency. 

He could only manage seventh in qualifying in both Miami and Monaco, underlining the team’s one-lap struggles, but still converted those into strong race finishes of third and fourth, respectively. 

However, that upward trajectory stalled with an 11th-place finish in Canada, reinforcing how difficult it has been for McLaren to string together complete weekends.

The team has struggled to generate the downforce levels needed under the radically different 2026 regulations. 

Engineers have also admitted they are still learning how to maximise performance from the new Mercedes power unit package, meaning McLaren have effectively been fighting two battles simultaneously: understanding a new engine and refining an entirely new aerodynamic concept.

Recent races have highlighted those shortcomings.

Monaco exposed a lack of rear stability and overall grip, while the team’s 1,000th Grand Prix weekend became symbolic of a difficult season as both drivers struggled for competitiveness before Norris suffered another electrical issue.

There were brief signs of promise, most notably in Miami, where McLaren secured a 1-2 finish in the sprint race.

Unfortunately, they were unable to build on that result across the remainder of the weekend or in subsequent races, leaving it as a missed opportunity rather than a turning point.

Why Mercedes and Ferrari Are Ahead

Mercedes have emerged as the class of the field under the new rules. 

The works team’s understanding of the new power unit regulations, combined with a highly efficient aerodynamic package, has allowed them to dominate the opening phase of the season. 

Multiple victories and pole positions have established the Silver Arrows as the benchmark everyone is chasing.

Lewis Hamilton has also looked increasingly comfortable within the car, speaking positively about its balance and drivability. 

That confidence is beginning to translate into results, with back-to-back second-place finishes underlining both his form and the consistency Mercedes have found in recent races.

Ferrari have not matched Mercedes’ consistency but have shown strong pace on a variety of circuits. 

Charles Leclerc has repeatedly highlighted improvements in Ferrari’s chassis and aerodynamic platform, allowing the Scuderia to challenge near the front while Mercedes remain the reference point.

McLaren, by contrast, are still trying to optimise both performance and reliability simultaneously.

What Must McLaren Do Next?

Solve Reliability First

No development programme matters if cars are not reaching the chequered flag.

McLaren’s first priority must be eliminating the recurring reliability concerns that have plagued the opening races. 

Whether the issues stem from gearbox components, electrical systems or power unit integration, the team needs dependable race weekends before it can accurately evaluate upgrades.

Improve Aerodynamic Efficiency

Stella has already identified aerodynamic load as the biggest contributor to the performance deficit. 

Finding more downforce without increasing drag will be critical if McLaren are to compete with Mercedes and Ferrari at a wider range of circuits.

The team’s upgrade packages have delivered encouraging signs at certain venues, but more substantial gains are required to consistently challenge for podiums.

Maximise the Mercedes Power Unit Package

While McLaren cannot change their customer status, they can continue improving how they exploit the Mercedes power unit.

The team has repeatedly stated that understanding energy deployment, cooling requirements and overall integration remains a work in progress. 

Every race weekend provides more data, and closing that knowledge gap could unlock significant performance.

Cut Out Operational Errors

Reliability has not been the only issue. Strategic decisions and race execution have occasionally cost McLaren valuable points. 

Against rivals operating at an exceptionally high level, small mistakes quickly become expensive.

A Team Caught Between Potential and Execution

McLaren’s decline from champion to chaser is not the result of one single problem. 

Reliability failures, adaptation to a new Mercedes power unit, aerodynamic shortcomings and occasional operational mistakes have combined to leave the Woking squad behind Mercedes and Ferrari in the early stages of the 2026 season.

The encouraging news is that none of the issues appear fundamental. 

McLaren have already shown flashes of competitiveness, and the gap has narrowed at several events, but if they are to return to the front, reliability must become a strength rather than a weakness.

Future upgrades need to deliver the aerodynamic gains required to challenge the benchmark currently set by Mercedes.

Until then, McLaren remain a team with championship-winning ambitions but too many unanswered questions.