Red Bull willing to sacrifice 2026 performance to chase Piastri
McLaren boss Andrea Stella thinks Red Bull might be putting their 2026 season at risk by focusing heavily on late-season upgrades for their current car.
“Perhaps they had more margin to develop efficiently, focusing on 2025,” Stella explained at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Red Bull brought a crucial floor upgrade after the summer break that transformed their season. The improvement to the RB21 has allowed Max Verstappen to slash Oscar Piastri‘s championship lead from 104 points to just 40.
Meanwhile, McLaren hasn’t introduced any significant updates in recent races. They’ve already wrapped up the constructors’ championship at Singapore, giving them the luxury to think long-term.
Stella believes there’s a tradeoff that Red Bull seems willing to make.
“I think when we look at Red Bull, and when we consider some of the complaints they had at the start of the season, perhaps they had more margin to develop efficiently,” he said. “And perhaps they are happier to give up a little bit on 2026 because they might have some other issues for 2026.”
The Italian was clear about McLaren’s priorities: “The 2026 project would be heavily compromised if we focused too much on this year. We want to win championships in the future.”
McLaren has achieved something special this season, securing back-to-back constructors’ titles for the first time since 1990-91.
But success comes with its own challenges.
“By being the champions, we are the most restricted by the regulations in terms of wind tunnel allowance and CFD allowance,” Stella pointed out. “It’s not like we have an unlimited amount of resources.”
The 54-year-old team principal believes McLaren made the right call in shifting focus to next year’s major regulation changes.
“Because we were so much in the diminishing returns, we needed to be realistic and shift our attention to 2026,” he explained.
Still, with Verstappen and Red Bull closing in on Piastri, McLaren is hoping they can find their way back to victory lane. They haven’t won since the Dutch Grand Prix.
Can they hold off the charging Red Bull in the final races? The team’s early pivot to 2026 development might have created an opening for their rivals.
