McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes that many of the principles behind the success of their 2025 Formula 1 car will remain relevant under the sport’s new 2026 technical regulations. With the upcoming rules set to overhaul car design and power unit balance, McLaren aims to leverage its existing strengths to maintain its competitive edge.
Beginning in 2026, Formula 1 will introduce significant changes, moving away from aerodynamic setups focused on heavy ground effect. Cars will rely on a flat underfloor and reduced downforce, incorporating active aerodynamics on straights to balance a nearly equal split between internal combustion and much larger electric power. This transformation provides a fresh landscape for all teams, but McLaren expects that some foundational elements of its current approach will still apply.
Design Philosophy and Technical Approach Remain Pillars for McLaren
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Andrea Stella emphasized the enduring nature of McLaren’s technical philosophy. He highlighted aerodynamic efficiency, tyre interaction, and efficient cooling as universal principles that transcend rule changes and have contributed to their recent progress.
I think there’s a couple of things that carry over, independently of the technical regulations, and I hope that that will be a good position to be in for McLaren,
Stella said.
One is the technical fundamentals whereby we pursued aerodynamic efficiency, interaction with the tyres, efficient cooling. It is universal.
—Andrea Stella, McLaren
Though the regulatory environment is shifting, McLaren’s focus on these fundamentals should provide continuity as the team adapts to the new era. Stella acknowledged that while the physical design parameters are changing dramatically, the underlying methodologies and knowledge gained remain valuable assets.
Balancing Transferrable Knowledge with the Need for Innovation
Stella clarified that McLaren’s existing expertise consists of both transferable insights and areas requiring reinvention due to the unique demands of the 2026 regulations. The current generation of cars relies heavily on ground effect achieved with complex floor designs, fences, and side wings. With next year’s cars implementing an entirely different underfloor concept, the team must rebuild some aspects of its aerodynamic understanding from scratch.
There’s a part of the know-how that is transferable to the work on 2026 and there’s a part of the know-how that you have to reinvent,
Stella explained.
Now we know how we can pursue aerodynamic efficiency on this generation of cars, but this is the result of many, many elements, iterations, an accumulation of knowledge. Part of which is relevant for this floor, which works in ground effect with the fences and with the side wings, but next year’s floor is completely different. So, you have to generate this knowledge again. From this point of view, that’s not transferable.
—Andrea Stella, McLaren
Despite this, Stella expressed confidence that important elements of McLaren’s development processes and knowledge generation will continue to be relevant, providing a strong foundation as they reinvent the car design.
But some aspects of the methodology or how you generate this knowledge, I think that will be transferable. So, the fundamental reasons why we are in this strong position now, I think there’s a large quantity that is transferable, and there’s a certain amount that somehow will be lost. And that will be a ground in which there will be, potentially a levelling out among all teams, independently of where they were in 2025.
—Andrea Stella, McLaren
Implications for McLaren and the Wider F1 Field in 2026
The 2026 regulations represent one of the most significant transformations in Formula 1 history, aimed at increasing competition and integrating hybrid technology more prominently. For teams like McLaren, whose performance has improved rapidly in recent seasons, striking the right balance between retaining proven methods and innovating for the new rules is crucial.
By leveraging aerodynamic efficiency, tyre management, and cooling strategies that remain relevant, McLaren hopes to enter 2026 with a foundation of technical excellence. However, they must also cultivate fresh knowledge tailored to the redefined aerodynamic principles and power unit balance. This transitional phase is likely to reset competitive dynamics, creating an opportunity for teams at various levels to close the performance gap.
As McLaren prepares for this shift, Andrea Stella’s insights suggest that while some design experience will carry over, success will depend on the team’s ability to innovate within the fresh regulatory framework. How well they manage this hybrid of legacy and reinvention could influence their competitiveness in the emerging F1 landscape.