McLaren Shuts Down Lewis Hamilton's Claim on Upgrade Performance

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has firmly rejected Lewis Hamilton's suggestion that the Woking squad's Miami upgrades delivered more performance than anticipated. Despite Hamilton's claim that the gains were "worth much more than they expected," Stella insists the on-track data aligns perfectly with pre-development simulations.

Why it matters:

The denial comes as McLaren struggles to keep pace with Mercedes in the 2026 season, following a double championship success in 2025. With the Scuderia and Red Bull also closing in, every tenth of a second counts – and any hint of a hidden advantage would shift the competitive balance. Stella's transparency underscores the team's reliance on accurate development tools to close the gap.

The details:

• McLaren enjoyed a strong Miami weekend, winning the sprint and securing a double podium in the grand prix – a welcome boost after a slow start to the year.
• Hamilton, observing from Mercedes, raised eyebrows by suggesting the papaya team's upgrades were outperforming expectations. Stella countered: "Pretty much what we measure in the data is consistent with what we were expecting from the development tools."
• Stella also revealed that McLaren's upgrade package in Miami was actually smaller in volume than Ferrari's, with more components due in the coming races. He stressed that the aerodynamic and mechanical gains matched predictions "in line with expectation."
• The team currently trails Mercedes in the constructors' standings, making every upgrade crucial for a sustained title defense.

What's next:

McLaren is banking on a steady stream of developments over the next few race weekends to close the performance gap. Stella confirmed that while the Miami package was measured and met targets, further parts are already in the pipeline. The key challenge will be translating those gains into consistent race pace, especially against a resurgent Mercedes squad. If McLaren can maintain its development accuracy and avoid setbacks, the midfield battle could tighten significantly in the coming months.