2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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E8404424
E8404424
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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SilviuAgo wrote:
22 Sep 2026, 17:57
AR3-GP wrote:
19 Sep 2026, 14:48
Had some time missing on the forum, also missed the live Madrid race (saw it only in the evening on F1TV and was very sorry for Lando's missed opportunity), but all this because I had the chance to be in Portimão for the MCL-HY testing session. The funny thing was that no one was informed about who would do the test. We were sure Mikkel would do the whole program, so it was incredible to get feedback directly from Lando. What I can say is that there is still a lot of work to do, but he is so positive and encouraging. Even though the time until June '26 is short, I am sure McLaren will do their absolute best to have an honorable presence at Le Mans. And if Lando is one of the drivers, it will be another dream come true for us.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSpdWgpWMAA ... name=large
a pic from the night test :roll:

And yes, McLaren is going back to its roots and with a new logo. McLaren's new logo is inspired by the sign from Bruce McLaren's family garage in Auckland, where he grew up above the workshop after his dad bought it in 1936.
McLaren has now brought that piece of his history back into the brand as a nod to where it all began. Hope to celebrate its debut with a win in Baku! Wish them all the best!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HS0pLrRXQAE ... name=large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HS0pLrIWIAE ... ame=medium
I really like that logo. Going back to where it all started. I think what Bruce achieved in his cruelly cut short life is not often given the credit it deserves outside of the team and the fans and, for me, the team is just as historic in the sport as Ferrari. Never seen the appeal of the mystique around Maranello anyway. Enzo never achieved in a car what Bruce did and their emblem was stolen from a fighter pilot. Lamborghini started making cars because Enzo Ferrari made a dismissive remark to Ferruccio Lamborghini about a knackered clutch on his Ferrari.

My girlfriend watched the McLaren documentary the other night and she was in tears at the end. She never knew about the childhood illness and the pain he endured. He was some man and who knows what he would have went on to achieve. Bruce would love the team today, and he would love the road cars. I love McLaren making a manual V8 supercar when everyone else is making electric tractors in a body kit. I drove my bosses McLaren 720s last year and it is a nice machine. A very nice machine.

And doing Le Mans again. Love it.

I watch this clip made for the 2013 50th Anniversary every now and then when I think of Bruce, from a time when their media was about more than drivers playing bone games for clicks ..


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mwillems
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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FittingMechanics wrote:
23 Sep 2026, 08:19
Why is this debate ongoing? McLaren said the difference is not big (pace wise) and decided against doing it.
Because I want to debate wether the reasons behind change are cost related.

Also, I don't think a change has been ruled out. When they did talk about the ratios, it was still before the full extent of the power, and before the ADUO engine update.

The difference will be an average. It isn't milliseconds at Baku and Monza.
I'm not taking advice from a cartoon dog

-Bandit

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AR3-GP
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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I've seen enough. It will be 9 wins in 9 races.
Working on the balance.

Emag
Emag
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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AR3-GP wrote:
23 Sep 2026, 18:46
I've seen enough. It will be 9 wins in 9 races.
If they somehow win here in Baku and do it with the same margin in pace that they had on the other normal tracks then the only thing that can stop them from doing this is their own incompetence (driver and team) or Mercedes' upgrade package.
Developer of F1InsightsHub

Emag
Emag
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Joined: 11 Feb 2019, 14:56

Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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McLaren did kind of prove my point though :
Emag wrote:
26 Nov 2025, 23:38
As for potential "strugglers", I could see McLaren suffering to be honest. At least initially. Going into a relatively complicated new regulation with the least amount of wind tunnel hours seems challenging. RedBull did just fine in 2022 though, so who knows. But even if they start out rough, I would expect them to get better during the season because they have great people and probably the most up to date infrastructure of the top teams at the moment. Maybe a 2024-like season for them wouldn't be too farfetched (as in start a bit slow and at some point in the season come out strong with an upgrade package).
The current team is not amazing at aerodynamic innovations. They didn't come up with anything crazy on their own. What we see now is a mix/match of already seen ideas from the others. Not unlike what happened in 2024 actually. Now it remains to be seen if they can optimize these "foreign" ideas as well as they did back in 2024.
Developer of F1InsightsHub

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SilviuAgo
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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I hope Darth is satisfied with new McLaren upgrade for Baku :D

McLaren's Baku upgrades include drastically narrowed air intakes, redesigned sidepod bodywork downstream of the inlet, and subtle reshaping of the cut outs ahead of the rear wheels.

Image

Image

Image

More details on technical page of the forum, also some very good insights from our colleagues AR3-GP, Xyz22, Emag.

FittingMechanics
FittingMechanics
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Joined: 19 Feb 2019, 12:10

Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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AR3-GP wrote:
23 Sep 2026, 18:46
I've seen enough. It will be 9 wins in 9 races.
Haha. This new package looks quite large. Didn't expect so many changes. If it works they should be at the front, they were close without it.

Let's go!

KimiRai
KimiRai
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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AR3-GP wrote:
23 Sep 2026, 18:46
I've seen enough. It will be 9 wins in 9 races.
:lol:
They really have a super tech team.

Balalu
Balalu
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Joined: 14 Feb 2020, 23:58

Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit dissapointed that we ditched the "old" logo. It was iconic and an identity.

I don't dislike the new one. I like it as well actually, but will miss the old one.

Edit: the updates...wow
"I showed him [with my hands] and said: I have bigger balls!” - Mika Hakkinen

FittingMechanics
FittingMechanics
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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Balalu wrote:
23 Sep 2026, 20:25
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit dissapointed that we ditched the "old" logo. It was iconic and an identity.

I don't dislike the new one. I like it as well actually, but will miss the old one.

Edit: the updates...wow
To me old logo was McLaren of 80s and 90s - brings back memories of McLaren F1, Senna, Prost, etc.

This new (but old) logo has nothing of the sort, but I guess they want to push a more sophisticated, old look in the future.

Rikhart
Rikhart
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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The line under the C in the new logo is just atrocious, it ruins the whole thing.

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bauc
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Location: Skopje, Macedonia

Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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The logo fiasco was not needed, come on WTF?

Th old logo looks like new and vice versa, ... big step backwards in design
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Macklaren
Macklaren
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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This is almost a b-spec car!

I wish they had kept the old logo for the racing team with the new one for road cars, golf etc

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De Wet
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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Rikhart wrote:
23 Sep 2026, 20:44
The line under the C in the new logo is just atrocious, it ruins the whole thing.
+1... And the spacing... :wtf:

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Darth-Piekus
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Re: 2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

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SilviuAgo wrote:
23 Sep 2026, 19:01
I hope Darth is satisfied with new McLaren upgrade for Baku :D

McLaren's Baku upgrades include drastically narrowed air intakes, redesigned sidepod bodywork downstream of the inlet, and subtle reshaping of the cut outs ahead of the rear wheels.
You know me. I always love new aero porn. Lets see how that translates in track time, drag, race pace and tyre management today.