While Toto Wolff has shed more light on the upgrades Mercedes are bringing to the Canadian GP this weekend and their mantra for the rest of the campaign, Andrea Stella has discussed McLaren’s two-stage upgrade plan and the prospect of defending the F1 Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles in 2026.
Despite emerging victorious in the first four Grands Prix of the season and currently holding an 86-point lead over McLaren in the Constructors’ standings, the Brackley-based squad certainly cannot rest easy.
The British team started the new year with a relatively underdeveloped car, given the time and resources they had to dedicate to the MCL39 to bring home the long-awaited Drivers’ Championship in the 2025 season finale.
Additionally, the struggles they faced to get to grips with the all-new power unit from long-time supplier Mercedes meant McLaren started their 2026 campaign on the back foot, securing only a P5 finish in Australia and registering a disappointing double DNS in China.
However, McLaren have made considerable progress in understanding their overall package since the Japanese GP. They not only secured three podiums in total in the last two Grands Prix but were also in contention for victory.
With the first phase of a massive “B-spec” car overhaul commencing in Miami, the Woking-based outfit claimed a comfortable 1-2 finish in the Sprint race. Furthermore, the double podium on Sunday suggested they had finally got on top of the power unit quirks and unlocked the MCL40’s potential.
What upgrades McLaren are bringing to the 2026 Canadian GP
Although McLaren already had major developments in the pipeline for the North American events from the start of the year, the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races allowed them to spend a month refining their designs and getting their heads around the new technical regulations.
Chasing the commitment to deliver a “completely new car” and continuing the aggressive development push that began in Miami, the reigning teams’ champions will bring forth sweeping upgrades targeting seven areas of the MCL40 as they hit the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend.
After introducing seven updated components in the fourth round, McLaren have confirmed that their upgrade package for the 2026 Canadian GP will entail substantial modifications to the floor, chassis, bodywork, front and rear wings, halo, and roll hoop.
“As established at the beginning of the season, Miami served as the first big step in our plan to add performance to the MCL40,” the team said ahead of the first-ever Sprint weekend in Montreal.
“This continues this weekend in Montreal, with a number of new components across the floor, chassis, front and rear wings, bodywork, halo and roll hoop.”
Stella on whether McLaren can defend both championships in 2026
Asked if McLaren’s strong outing in Miami indicated that they could successfully defend both F1 titles by the end of the season, Andrea Stella expressed caution in the post-race print media session that it’s too early to make a prediction.
Noting that the Miami International Autodrome has historically been a strong circuit for the Woking-based squad, the Italian stated that they can verify the efficacy of their upgrades only after a few more races.
Nonetheless, Stella also drew attention to the good haul of points McLaren have bagged so far and proclaimed that they will spare no effort to overcome the deficit to Mercedes with further upgrades and many more rounds to go.
“I think if we now start to consider championships at the end of the season, then I think we need to be a bit careful because we are just at the fourth race.
“We have just delivered our first upgrade. We are in Miami and McLaren looks like traditionally have done very well in Miami. So, it could be that the way we develop our cars kind of suits this circuit, so we will have to see more.
“But at the same time, because it’s only the fourth race and we have scored a good chunk of points, even compared to Mercedes, and we know that we can further develop our car, we have said already before Miami that the championship is not a sign-off. So, our logic is to look at the long term, try and defend the championship.
“But as soon as we say that, we come back in the present and we do the right thing today. Because there’s really not much point in thinking so far forward. But definitely we want to defend the championship.”
Wolff discusses Mercedes upgrades for the Canadian GP and mantra for the rest of the 2026 F1 campaign
In comparison to their direct rivals, who had significantly revamped their cars ahead of the Miami GP weekend, the W17 took to the track with merely two updated elements.
Referring to the substantial performance gains teams like McLaren and Red Bull had made in the previous round, Toto Wolff emphasised their need to build strong momentum before the F1 summer break. He also confirmed that Mercedes are bringing their first major upgrades to Montreal while previewing the 2026 Canadian GP weekend.
At the same time, the Austrian was quick to point out that a single round cannot determine the course of the remainder of this 22-race season and added that Mercedes seek to stay grounded and optimise each race weekend as it comes.
“We head to Canada ready to get back into a regular rhythm of racing. Our competitors took a step forward in Miami and we need to respond; seven Grands Prix in 10 weekends before shutdown is an opportunity to do that and build momentum.
“We bring our first update package of the year to Montreal, but we know that performance is only performance once it is delivered on track.
“Despite being in the middle of May, we are just four races into the season. There is a long year ahead and, whilst this is an important weekend, it will not decide any outcomes.
“We will stay balanced, keep learning, and execute each weekend as well as we can. We won’t get too high when we succeed or too low in the difficult moments; that is as true for our drivers as it is for the rest of the team.”
