Stella: McLaren forced into 'reset' to recover lost tire edge under 2026 rules

McLaren is struggling to recover the elite tire management that powered its 2024 and 2025 titles, with team principal Andrea Stella admitting the radical 2026 regulations forced a complete reset. After watching Ferrari dominate the Spanish Grand Prix while his drivers wilted in the Barcelona heat, Stella confirmed the squad has lost the thermal edge that once separated it from the field.

Why it matters:

Tire conditioning was McLaren's quiet weapon during its championship years, allowing drivers to extend stints while rivals burned through rubber. Without that advantage under the new rules, the team risks being stuck behind Ferrari and Mercedes, making its recovery critical to any serious title bid.

The details:

• Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari crushed the field with a late-race surge in Spain, while Oscar Piastri faded to fifth. Lando Norris only reached the podium thanks to Kimi Antonelli's retirement.
• Stella explained that building an entirely new car for 2026—complete with different tires and complex power units—forced the team to cover every base at once before tackling fine details.
• That reset delayed the refinement of tire behavior. Stella confesses McLaren currently lacks its old conditioning edge and has made degradation a "very clear objective for development."
• The focus now shifts from launching the project to targeted updates aimed at keeping rear tires cool enough to stop grip from falling away rapidly.

What's next:

Stella says McLaren is "gradually evolving" toward the right thermal solutions. The hope is that its prior knowhow translates quickly to the 2026 package, but time is short. With Ferrari surging, the next few races will determine whether McLaren can engineer a swift enough turnaround to remain a genuine championship threat.