McLaren has acknowledged that its tyre management advantage has not carried over to the 2026 Formula 1 season. Team principal Andrea Stella pointed to the Barcelona Grand Prix as evidence of the setback. The team is now working to regain ground in this area.
Last weekend's race at the Montmelo circuit highlighted McLaren's struggles with tyre conditioning in hot conditions. Lando Norris finished third after Kimi Antonelli retired, while Oscar Piastri ended fifth. Ferrari advanced with an upgrade, allowing Lewis Hamilton to pull clear in the closing stages.
Stella said the team had invested heavily in tyre management previously. "We have invested over the years to make sure that we were conditioning the tyres, especially in hot races, and keep them cold enough that the grip wouldn't decay at a fast rate," he explained. He added that new regulations and a different car design had changed conditions.
The Italian described the shift to 2026 rules as a reset that forced McLaren to address multiple demands at once. Development work on tyre performance is now under way. "Now we are gradually evolving towards what we think is the right thing to do for the tyres," Stella said.
