McLaren has detailed its upgrade package for this weekend's Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, as the reigning world champions look to close a 163-point gap to championship leaders Mercedes.
The Woking-based squad will introduce a new floor and a series of aerodynamic components at the Hungaroring, a circuit where the team has claimed one-two finishes for the past two seasons. The upgrades are set to be evaluated across the three practice sessions on Friday and Saturday.
In addition to the new parts, McLaren will also run a developed version of an experimental rear wing during Friday's FP1 session. The component was originally scheduled for testing during the Austrian Grand Prix but was never run due to rain. According to the team, the wing is "not scheduled to be introduced fully" at either the Hungarian Grand Prix or the following Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, suggesting it remains an exploratory development item rather than a confirmed race specification.
The package arrives as McLaren sits third in the constructors' standings, 163 points adrift of Mercedes after the opening 10 rounds of the 2026 season. Although the team has struggled to replicate the dominance that carried them to last year's title double, the Hungaroring presents a strong opportunity. Its tight, twisty configuration demands high downforce and rewards the very characteristics McLaren has historically excelled at in recent years.
Senior Racing Director Randy Singh outlined the team's approach: "Heading to Hungary, we're looking forward to a very different challenge at the Hungaroring and the final race before the summer shutdown. It's a circuit that demands a high-downforce package and rewards confidence under braking, strong corner entry and good traction, while the combination of hot temperatures, relentless corners and limited straights makes tyre management a key factor."
Singh added: "As always this season, we'll also be focused on getting the most from our power unit deployment across the lap and understanding how the revised overtaking characteristics influence strategy. We have an upgrade package arriving this weekend too, and in such a competitive season every development is important so it will be great to gather further understanding on how those parts perform throughout Free Practice."
McLaren has also confirmed that reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli will make his second FP1 appearance of the season, deputising for Oscar Piastri in the opening session on Friday.
The Hungarian Grand Prix marks the final round before F1's traditional summer shutdown, adding extra significance to McLaren's upgrade push as the team aims to carry momentum into the second half of the championship.
Sources
- https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1101536/1/mclaren-outlines-details-hungary-f1-upgrade-least-one-item-wont-be-raced
