McLaren is celebrating its 1000th Formula 1 start this weekend in Monaco, marking a significant milestone in the team's history. This achievement was previously reached only by Scuderia Ferrari. The celebration coincides with the 60th anniversary of McLaren's low-key debut at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix, where founder Bruce McLaren ran a single car.
The team's focus, however, remains on the present and the challenge of competing against Mercedes. Despite being the reigning World Champions, McLaren has had a tough 2026 season so far. Mercedes has dominated in terms of performance and results, while McLaren has struggled with consistency and made mistakes that have cost them valuable points.
Team boss Andrea Stella acknowledged the challenges, saying, "Certainly, the start of the season has been challenging. And we have had issues of different kinds. There's definitely lots to take away and review." Despite the setbacks, Stella remains positive, emphasizing the importance of learning and improving. "It's definitely below what would have been our expectation, to be in contention for the championship," he said. "But at the same time, we want to take the positive. It's still five races out of at least 22—we will see if the Middle East races will be recovered."
View Price on AmazonMcLaren introduced a major upgrade package in Miami and Montreal, while Mercedes waited until Canada to unveil their new parts. The initial conclusion was that Mercedes maintained its edge, but it's too early to draw definitive conclusions. McLaren opted to remove the new front wing in Canada after Lando Norris didn't feel comfortable with it, and the team is expected to put it back on and optimize it for future races.
Stella is cautious about drawing conclusions, saying, "I think there are some encouraging indications that we seem to learn more and more about our car, and optimize all the new parts that we bring to the MCL40." The team's determination to get back into the championship hunt is clear, with Stella stating, "We want to be in this championship, and we want the championship to be decided in Abu Dhabi."
Source: roadandtrack.com
