McLaren shifts development focus to next year's car

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has announced a shift in the team’s development strategy, moving primary focus toward next year’s car following a disappointing performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Stella noted that while some previously approved components will still arrive for the current MCL40, the factory's resources are now concentrated on future projects. This decision follows a weekend in Baku where the team faced “fundamental limitations of our package.” Stella identified aerodynamic drag and suboptimal gear ratios as key factors that hindered straight-line speed, forcing drivers to defend positions rather than advance.

Despite earlier indications from CTO Rob Marshall that development on the current car would continue, the team will now navigate the remaining eight races of the season largely using components designed several weeks ago.