(Motorsport-Total.com) – Tire management contributed significantly to McLaren winning the Constructors’ World Championship title twice in a row in 2024 and 2025. However, this strength does not seem to have survived the leap to the new Formula 1 regulations in 2026.
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Over the past year, team principal Andrea Stella expressed confidence that McLaren could retain some of its title-deciding strengths despite a completely new set of regulations – thanks to the know-how and methods built under his leadership.
“There are some things that remain regardless of the technical regulations,” Stella said at the time, explaining: “Firstly, these are the technical fundamentals, where we focused on aerodynamic efficiency, the interaction with the tires, and efficient cooling. That is universal.”
“And some aspects of the methodology or the way this knowledge is generated will be transferable,” he emphasized. McLaren’s ability to manage tire temperatures was a particularly great strength as the team became the dominant force in Formula 1 in 2024 and 2025.
Rivals accused the team, among other things, of using water cooling tricks to keep the rear Pirelli tires under control. The FIA rejected these accusations after tests.
But with Formula 1’s switch to a radically different set of regulations, this strength seems to have disappeared. The Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on the hot and high-downforce circuit in Montmelo is perhaps the best example of this.
After previously alternating with Ferrari as the second-fastest team behind Mercedes, the Scuderia made a big step forward with its Barcelona update last weekend.
While Lewis Hamilton built up a 20-second lead over second-placed George Russell with an impressive final stint, Lando Norris benefited from Kimi Antonelli’s retirement and finished third. Teammate Oscar Piastri struggled more in the Spanish heat and finished a distant fifth.
Stella: McLaren had to do a “reset”
Afterwards, Stella admitted that Ferrari had simply built the better car with more downforce at the moment. At the same time, he confirmed on Saturday that McLaren had not been able to transfer its tire strength from the previous year.
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“We have invested over the years to ensure that we condition the tires – especially in hot races – so that they stay cool enough and the grip doesn’t degrade quickly,” explains Stella.
“I have to say that some conditions have changed from a technical point of view, as we have developed a new car with different tires. So this is a process that is still ongoing,” said the team principal.
“We at McLaren know that we can improve in some areas. At the moment, we are not as competitive in tire management and wear as we were in 2025, which is a very clear development goal. Currently, we don’t seem to have any particular advantage in this area.”
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Stella says that the 2026 regulations represent such a profound upheaval – also because of the integration of the highly complex new power units and associated systems – that McLaren first had to perform a “reset” to cover all the basics before being able to address the intricacies.
This development phase has now begun. “It’s something of a reset that we were forced into because we developed a completely new car, which brought additional requirements,” explains the Italian.
“We had to meet all these requirements at once to start a new project. And now we are beginning to further develop and fine-tune in the areas where the greatest opportunities lie,” says Stella.
He therefore announces: “Now we are gradually developing towards what we consider to be the right approach to dealing with the tires.”
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